Accepting Her Demons
by Sarion
Summary: Telling Takashi to take care of Rei, Saeko runs into the throng of zombies alone to draw them away. When the rest are rescued by Saya's mother, Saeko is forced to travel alone. What happens when she meets up with a foreigner who not only accepts her dark side but encourages it? Will she finally be capable of admitting her feelings to someone? Saeko/OC Takashi/Rei Read the Prologue!
1. Prologue: Setting the Stage

**Setting The Stage**

A quick precursor to me actually getting underway on writing this: This takes place at the end of Episode 8: The Dead Way Home. Rather than Takashi and Saeko running into the group of zombies together, Saeko tells Takashi to take care of Rei and goes out alone. When Saya's mother arrives to rescue them Saeko is cut off and is forced to travel alone, for a time.

I'll state it now: **I do not own High School of the Dead, nor do I own any characters affiliated with it. **All original content however is mine, I will not use anyone else's writings or OC's in this piece. I will also be taking reviews very seriously; I will respond to EVERY review I receive positive or negative. Reviews inspire me to write more. Seeing as I am writing another fic right now for FFX-2 "Ruby Eyes Tell No Lies", whichever gets more attention gets more updates. Simple!

A warning right off the bat as well: This story will have graphic violence and explicit content. There will be foul language (if you've seen the anime, you're familiar with the vulgarity they use. I'm not a big user of it in my writing but I'd like to keep them IC), sexual situations and a lot of death. There will also be the occasional "songfic" moments when I find a scene truly needs a musical aid. I own none of the songs (and will repeat that as they occur) I just find them suitable for the situations.

If you don't like the thought of Saeko with an OC, I apologize but that's how this one is going. The Takashi/Rei interactions will be very slight in comparison so expect this story to be primarily about Saeko and her newfound friend.

Lastly, please feel free to PM me if you're too shy to public review on anything I can do to improve/maintain the story. As much as I love to write, I love it more when people love my writing.

Thank you and I truly hope you enjoy my story because I have been looking forward to writing this for a while now, I just had to rewatch the series to get into the proper state of mind; not the easiest acquisition in Afghanistan I tell you!

~Sarion


	2. A Costly Mistake

**Chapter 1**

**A Costly Decision**

Saeko let out a sigh as she watched Takashi and the others being helped over the wire. She hadn't wanted to split away by herself but Rei had taken a nasty landing from the Humvee and she knew Takashi would protect her. She couldn't help smile despite her predicament; the feelings shared between Rei and Takashi were very deep and though they had a lot of scar tissue to carve through she knew they could do it with her out of the way.

Turning away from the scene she began walking at a hurried pace down the street before her. This was an area she was unfamiliar with and everything looked the same due to the carnage wrought by 'them'. Buildings were torn asunder with fires spread throughout them and blood, so much blood, was coating much of the scenery like a thick, repulsive paint. The streets were littered with trash and vehicles; most were destroyed beyond repair and even the ones that worked were nothing more than magnets for 'them' with the engine noise.

Stopping at the front of a convenient store Saeko felt her stomach growl in annoyance at the lengthy period without food. The door was already shattered and barely hanging on with one hinge as Saeko stepped into the deserted store to look for something to eat. Passing through the aisles she snagged a small knapsack to hold whatever she could find. Who knows how long it could be before she was able to find edible food again? A lot of the city had lost power due to the buildings simply being so destroyed by looters and fires. It was only a matter of time until everything perishable went bad and much of the nonperishables had already been snatched by desperate citizens at the onset of the panic.

Grumbling about the lack of selection Saeko managed to grab a few honeybuns, some pretzels and a few bottles of Coca-Cola. Not exactly the nutrition she was looking for but everything else was either spoiled or gone. As she exited the store she emptied the register. _'Not like anyone is going to need it here, who knows if I end up needing this somewhere?'_

Exiting the store she noticed two of 'them' shuffling out of an alley. They appeared to be a couple, or at least they were a couple before. One was a male with a business suit on; his left arm dangled limply and was bent in an impossible direction while he slowly dragged his now scuffed dress shoes across the pavement. To his right was a blonde woman with her hair in an intricate bun wearing an expensive looking dress but was missing footwear, most likely heels.

Saeko knew they couldn't see her; they were driven simply by sound and she hadn't made any. This fact however did not register with her as she felt her breath quicken, pulse begin to race and whole body tingle in anticipation. Anticipation of the violence she was about to unleash.

With practiced grace she sprinted silently across the street with her bokken in hand. In the fraction of a heartbeat she delivered two swift yet powerful blows to the skulls of both creatures splattering blood, brains and bone fragments against the brick building behind them. Standing over her prey, Saeko felt her body regulating and sighed in disappointment; it was over too soon.

Hours passed by and the sun was getting low bringing a small chill to the air. Saeko was frustrated at wandering aimlessly but at least she hadn't run into any more of 'them'. She smiled in spite of herself. It almost would have been better if there had been a few to help pass the time. With a sigh she pulled out a honeybun and looked it over, turning the sinfully sweet treat over in her hand. "Well," she said to no one in particular. "I guess it will have to do."

As she continued down the road to nowhere a scream startled her from her thoughts. Everything she knew told her to continue walking as if nothing had happened but when she heard it again, she could make out the sound as that of a young girl perhaps Alice-chan's age. Growling at herself she sprinted in the direction of the sound. _'I'm going to get myself killed. But what kind of monster would I be if I ignored such a cry for help? I'd be no better than them.'_

Rounding a corner Saeko gasped. Hanging from a second floor window for dear life was a young girl with black hair in pig-tails and wearing an elementary school uniform. As she had suspected the girl was similar age to Alice-chan. Rushing to the girl she called up to her as quietly as she could but loud enough to be heard. "Drop down, I will catch you!"

Looking down with wide, scared eyes the girl nodded before shutting them tightly and releasing her grip on the ledge. She let out only a small squeal before landing in Saeko's waiting arms. Eyes as big as saucers stared up at Saeko before the girl threw her arms around the older girl and hugged her tightly as she cried into the soft, indigo hair.

Smiling and holding the child tightly, Saeko allowed the girl a moment to compose herself before setting her down. "I'm Saeko Busujima, what's your name?"

The little girl smiled back, her fear obviously abated. "My name is Korone Eto! May I can you Saeko-san?"

Taking the little girl's hand in her own, Saeko nodded. "You sure may Korone-chan. Do you have any family nearby?'

Nodding enthusiastically the little girl pointed down the road in the opposite direction Saeko had come from. "My mama and papa live a few blocks down there. I was here with my auntie but she… she…" Her eyes filled with tears and her lip quivered as she sniffled repeatedly in an attempt to not cry.

Squeezing the hand she held gently, Saeko offered a small smile. "We'll get you to your mama and papa then Korone-chan. Let's go."

After walking for a short while Saeko was surprised at the lack of 'them' in this area. It seemed that most had migrated to more densely populated areas already leaving the occasional straggler but no actual groups. One thing that made her wary was the amount of bodies they encountered in their walk; some were 'them' but some were unbitten but riddled with bullet wounds or slash marks. She wasn't sure if this was an incident that had gotten out of control or a group of people who had taken advantage of the lawlessness that had befallen the city.

"Well, well. Looks like we got us a keeper this time."

Saeko spun at the sound of the gruff voice behind her and let out a frustrated growl as she ushered Korone behind her. "Just let us go. This girl needs to get to her parents bef-"

The man before her laughed, interrupting her. He was bald with a jagged scar from his left ear to his chin, likely made from a blade of some sort. His leather vest barely fit over his muscular frame and the cigar in his mouth rolled from one side to the other as he appraised her. Blue jeans and black boots completed his ensemble and Saeko found herself wondering if this man was responsible for the chaos down the road.

"You seem to be a little confused there girlie." He laughed again and Saeko turned around, realizing Korone was no longer holding her hand. Looking up she saw that Korone was hugging the leg of a man standing a dozen paces away beside a woman and both were dressed in similar apparel to the man she first encountered. What worried her was both of them had pistols that were obviously taken from police officers. Police and military were the only groups allowed to carry pistols in Japan and the people standing before her resembled neither.

"Korone-chan…" Saeko started before being interrupted by the red haired woman who was now holding the little girl's hand.

"I'd say thank you kid for saving my little girl but you see, we're the ones who sent her over there when we saw you a few blocks over. We were sure that there would be more of you seeing as how impossible the odds are for some high school tramp to have survived out here alone." She looked around in disappointment. "But it seems we only got you. I suppose that will be fine though, Takagi-san over there lost his wife to this, _infection_," she spit the word out. "so you can replace her."

She had been tricked. The little girl was likely in no real danger, possibly having one of the thugs in the upper window to hold her until Saeko had rounded the corner. Rage filled her but she knew that no matter her skill she was no match for their weapons.

Saeko took a step back and looked around, aware that the man behind her, Takagi, had taken a step towards her. "I think I'm going to have to pass." Without waiting for a response she turned and sprinted down the nearby alleyway hearing their yells and a few close rounds ricochet around her as she dashed for the other side.

Before she reached the street however, two more thugs stepped in from the other side. This was not just a few people who had lost their mind in the madness of the outbreak but a gang of like-minded scum that preyed on the weak. Seeing that they both carried guns as well, this time shotguns, she turned and jumped up a fire escape and pulled herself up the stairs as fast as her legs would go. Brick sprayed her face, causing her to stumble back as a too-close round hit the wall in front of her.

'T_his is insanity; people should be working together to overcome this not killing each other!'_ Her mind still argued the situation though she knew it was human nature to desire control especially in a world lacking structure.

As she crossed the rooftop she could hear the angry grunts of her pursuers. They were certainly persistent; she had to give them that. Jumping down to a building beside the one she had climbed, Saeko rolled behind a vent just in time to avoid a peppering shotgun blast at the area she had landed.

"Get back here you little whore! We're not going to kill you, just pass you around for morale!"

Staying low Saeko ignored them and continued to the other side of the building before sliding down a drainage pipe and landing softly in the alley. Looking both ways she saw no threats and decided to continue running in a direction away from the original encounter. Her lungs were burning but her muscles still had a bit left in them due to her conditioning in kendo. She made a mental note to add more cardio when this was all over and smiled to herself.

"She's over this way!" A female voice from a window above her cried out.

This was impossible, they were everywhere. Saeko broke into a dead run down the street heedless of the direction she was going, not like she knew the area anyway. Before long however her lack of direction sense caught up with her.

"Nowhere to run now girly." A few of the thugs had their shotguns aimed at her as she backed up as far as she could.

Behind her had once been an overpass for train tunnel but at some point had collapsed entirely leaving her on the ledge of a rather frightening drop. It wasn't so much the distance of the fall but the jagged rocks and pieces of twisted metal that deterred her from simply jumping.

As the two men approached her Saeko closed her eyes and fought the urge to vomit that was threatening at that moment and offered a strange smile before leaning back and disappearing over the edge.

The two men rushed over to the side in disbelief. Looking down, they couldn't see her but amidst all the wreckage it was unlikely to anyhow. There was no way she had survived such a fall. Sharing a look they shrugged. "Boss is gonna be pissed." With that they both turned and walked back towards their waiting leader.

Saeko felt as though everything happened in slow motion; it was almost as if she watched her own body fall from the ledge and into the wreckage below. She saw her body go limp and narrowly miss numerous jagged rocks and cables that would have impaled her. She watched as she struck the side of something metallic, gasping at the impact before falling face first onto grass. As impossible as the odds had been, she had missed numerous objects that would have killed her instantly and had landed on grass, not stone or tracks in the end.

She could taste blood and her entire body was numb from striking the train car siding. Her breath had been taken from her both from the original impact then again when she struck the ground. Looking up with blurry vision Saeko wasn't sure if she could survive her wounds. A terrible sound alerted her that her wounds may be the least of her worries as a few of 'them' shuffled out from the shadows.

'_Not like this.'_ She thought to herself. _'I can't become one of 'THEM'!' _Grunting with effort she attempted to push her body up but was unable to, resulting in a mouthful of dirt as she collapsed heavily. _'Maybe I deserve this. Maybe this is my punishment.'_

Looking up, her vision growing cloudy and dimming by the moment Saeko managed a bloody smile as she looked up at the creature now only a few paces away. "I guess this really is the end."

Lowering her head to the dirt, she sighed. "I never even got to kiss a boy." With that statement, darkness swallowed her.

_Author's Note_

_So I hope that people enjoyed my first chapter here! This is a big step for me. This is my first ever zombie fic. This is my first ever het fic, and it is my first ever fic where I will be involving an OC. I truly hope people enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it so far. Please read and review so that I know to continue writing it. I promise, if you R&R I will update multiple times per week. I'm not like a lot of these writers who take weeks for each updates… with proper motivation! I will be sharing time between this and my other fic (check my profile for information!) so priority will go to the more popular, of course. Thank you and I hope you enjoy!_

_Also: If the character seems a little OOC, I apologize. She's a tough write. I figure "respectful, caring, but headstrong and dark at times" fits her. I just watched the anime for the third time –today- so I should have a decent grip. Keep me in check!_


	3. A Light in the Darkness

**Chapter 2**

**A Light in the Darkness**

Rain was pouring down steadily as if the heavens were attempting to wash away the evidence of what the previous day had wrought. The streets ran red with blood-tainted water and in some areas the flooding carried the bodies left behind into ditches leaving the streets almost clear of the carnage. The fires however seemed unaffected by the rain and continued to blaze throughout the city making the situation easy to remember.

A particularly loud crash of thunder startled Saeko awake. _'How in the world? What happened?'_ As she tried to sit up she winced and let out a small whimper before falling back. Something was different about everything. She felt constricted as though something was gripping right her shoulder and leg as well as a heaviness on her chest; not uncomfortably so but much heavier than her uniform top. Her back was aching from the violent collision with the train car and her chest was sore from the abrupt introduction to the dirt earlier. _'How am I still alive? Why am I mostly dry in this pouring rain, did I move?'_

A shadow appeared above her and caused her to flinch, wondering if it was one of 'them' but felt immediate relief upon seeing a very alive looking man kneel down beside her. He put a finger to his lips and pointed to his left and right to let her know she needed to remain quiet or attract attention. He looked over his shoulder again, watching a few of 'them' wandering past their current spot which was simply a dry area under an overhang of broken tunnel.

As her eyes adjusted they widened in surprise; the man kneeling above her looked American. He wore black jeans with a black t-shirt that was soaked to his skin and a pair of once-white Nikes that now were coated in mud and blood. She couldn't quite make out his face due to the poor lighting but he appeared to have a 'high and tight' haircut with the sides buzzed but the hair on top a little longer.

The man placed the finger to his lips again before extending his hand to help her up. As she took it, she realized she was wearing a thick leather coat that went down beyond her knees. Standing slowly she winced and realized her injuries, while painful, at least didn't feel like fractures. When his grip tightened she followed closely while he led her between the train wreckage at a measured pace. He constantly looked over his shoulder and offered a smile which she returned, showing him that she was able to keep up.

After a few minutes of walking they came up to an abandoned building that had been boarded up and condemned long before the outbreak. As they approached it, the man stopped at a window and looked at Saeko. "It lifts out, I need to give you a boost. Is that okay?"

His voice caught her off-guard. While he had an American accent, his Japanese was nearly perfect. Nodding, she lifted her left leg, the uninjured one, and stepped into his waiting hand before pulling herself up into the window. As she looked back she couldn't help but let out a small giggle at seeing him staring the opposite direction to be sure he didn't see up her skirt. _'That's actually quite adorable at a time like this.'_

Once she dropped down inside she heard him jump up and saw him pull himself through the window, dropping down beside her. Turning to the side he pressed something and a dim light filled the room as the lantern he had placed on the table reflected off of mirrors on each side that hit two more on the opposing walls. The floor was covered in multiple tarps and there was a single bedroll against the far wall with a large green duffel beside it. Each door had been barricaded with wooden boards in addition to some metal pipes that had been forced into the floors at an angle to prevent the bottom corners of the doors from being exploited. She had to admit, it was impressively fortified for such a short period of time.

Turning towards the man who'd brought her here she finally got a good look at him in the pale lighting. He was a good-looking man likely in his early twenties with the start of scruff showing that he had missed perhaps one or two days of shaving. Both his hair and eyes were a light brown and though his skin was light he had a slight summer tan. He was a little taller than her, his shoulders being at her eye level and he was athletically built but not overly so. As she looked him over she found herself drawn back to his eyes; even in such a dark situation she could feel the positive energy emitting from them and the smile that was held behind them. It was very calming in such a stressful time.

"I apologize for rushing you over here without giving explanation but there were quite a few of those things wandering nearby. I was worried for a while there I'd have to just carry you over here because they kept getting closer and you were moaning in your sleep." He frowned, his eyes showing hurt. "I did what I could for your injuries but in the conditions out there it was very limited."

Looking down, Saeko realized the jacket on her had kept her mostly dry before shrugging it off and setting it beside her. The action caused her to wince as her right shoulder flared angrily. Looking down she blinked in surprise; her right shoulder was wrapped in a tan bandage under her uniform top and her right leg also had some kind of elastic bandage just above her knee. Looking up she saw him blush and rub the back of his neck.

"I assure you I only exposed you long enough to wrap your wounds before covering you and wrapping my jacket around you. Your shoulder will be a little sore for a day or two but there's no real tissue damage. I just wanted some pressure on it with the ace wrap. Your leg had a scrape so I wrapped it simply to prevent it from becoming infected."

Seeing that he was telling the truth about his care, Saeko smiled at him and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you so much for tending to my wounds." The final moments of her consciousness after the fall flashed in her mind causing her to suddenly straighten. "What happened after I fell?"

"I heard the commotion at the top of the overpass but was too far to do anything. When I saw you fall I ran over as quickly as I could. I was worried you were already dead from the fall but I could not risk letting someone die if I could help. Especially not by becoming one of those creatures." He sighed looked over his shoulder. "I carried you over under the shelter after dispatching the few that were near you and treated what injuries I could. Shortly after I finished up, you awoke and here we are now."

Saeko felt a blush of her own creep to her cheeks. He had risked his life to save her without even knowing if she had survived the fall. "You are truly brave to have risked your life for me not even knowing if I was alive and you are very kind to have treated my wounds." She studied his face, causing him to shift uncomfortably. He was very handsome and his eyes showed a great deal of experience despite his young appearance. "You are too young to be a doctor I would think."

He nodded and looked away. "I am nowhere near such a thing, Anyhow I should probably introduce myself." He chuckled and shook his head before bowing slightly. "My name is Ryker and I am very pleased to meet you despite our situation."

Still impressed by this foreigner's ability to speak the language so well, Saeko couldn't help but smile at his too-deep bow; he was certainly older than she was by a few years. Bowing in return, Saeko introduced herself as well. "My name is Saeko Busujima, Ryker-san. It is a pleasure to have met you as well."

Resting a hand on his hip he looked at her with a disarming smile. "Well Busujima-san, I would think tha-"

"Please call me Saeko. You did save my life after all."

Nodding, Ryker continued. "Saeko-san, you should get some real sleep. The sun will be up in a few hours. I'm assuming you have family to look for?"

Shaking her head, Saeko looked at the bedroll. "I don't and the bedroll is plenty big enough to fit us both." Walking over she knelt beside it and looked over her shoulder, smiling at his blush and nervousness. "Just keep your hands to yourself."

Ryker's face reddened considerably and he shook his head with a smile; she was definitely a strange girl. "Will do Saeko-san." With that he turned off the light and carefully made his way to the bedroll. As he pulled his soaked shirt off and set it beside him, he heard Saeko doing the same and felt his neck heat up with a blush. Shaking his head as if to throw such thoughts from it, Ryker leaned back and rested his head on an arm, quietly pushing the pillow over to Saeko's side to offer her some measure of comfort.

Saeko noticed this small gesture and smiled to herself in the dark as she turned her back to Ryker. _'What a strange world to be in where a man from another country risks his life for someone and seems to wish for nothing in return. He seems quite dug in here and yet he made mention of me looking for family.' _She looked over her shoulder after her eyes adjusted and saw Ryker was on his back, looking up at the ceiling in deep thought. _'He seems to be both honorable and brave. I hope he truly is what he seems.' _

As she closed her eyes sleep came almost immediately, the physical and mental toll taken in the past hours having added up and the comfortable bed made it all too easy to slip away into a deep slumber. The world outside of their little hide-out was chaos but for just a few hours both were able to rest without thinking about any of it; their only thoughts were on what to think of the other and what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_I'm a stickler for the details I know. I am really trying to make this story FEEL as real as possible. HOTD is not a typical "fantasy" type story that magic and super powers exist so I will be doing what I can to give realism a good fight in this, despite the whole zombie aspect. I really would appreciate R&R because it tells me what I can do better! Am I too descriptive? Not descriptive enough? As I stated last chapter, Saeko is a tough write so I'm kind of winging it. Even after watching the anime over and over her personality is so abstract at times. She can be deadly serious or playful and flirty or just adorable. I hope to capture all of this! I know, not a lot of action (read: none) in this chapter but I promise, there will be PLENTY as we continue. I'm just trying to set the stage for everyone! Hopefully soon my AN's will be so much shorter!_

_**PandaTrueno86: **__Yes! I'm giving it a shot. I got my HOTD copy and I LOVE the story. I have a LOT of it mentally done, just gotta fill in the blanks. I appreciate you following along though! Keep me posted on how you feel about it!_


	4. A Zombie Lunch Date

**Chapter 3**

**A Zombie Lunch Date**

The sun rose into the morning sky and forced the dark, cloudy night to retreat to the western horizon returning some warmth to the city below. It had stopped raining an hour prior to the sun making its daily debut but the streets were flooded in lower areas with bodies floating along the surface as if bread crumbs thrown to the birds that were now feasting on them.

As light crept into the condemned building housing Saeko and Ryker it reflected off of the mirrors and gave the room a soft glow; the light lost through reflection keeping it from being too bright. As Ryker opened his eyes and immediately froze in a mixture of fear and shock. Cuddled up against him with her barely covered breasts pressed to his chest was the beautiful purple-haired girl from the night before. Her black and purple bra looked to be struggling at its job of holding and he felt that her leg had hooked around his at some point in the night.

Carefully leaning back in an attempt to dislodge himself from her without waking her Ryker did his best to stare at the far wall and not down beneath the single blanket they shared that now rested just above their waists. His attempt was in vain however when he saw her eyes flutter open as she lifted her head in a sleepy stupor; a thin trail of drool hung from her mouth and trailed down her chin. She blinked a few times before realizing the situation and sat back quickly wiping her mouth.

"Oh my Ryker-san please forgive me. I-"

"It's absolutely fine Saeko-san, it was cold last night." Ryker rubbed the back of his neck and looked across the room, the blush still heavy in his cheeks.

Wearing a blush of her own, Saeko turned to her clothes and let out a sigh; they were still damp.

Ryker stood and faced away from her. "In the green duffel beside you there should be some clothing. You're a little smaller than me but I'm sure I have a belt in there."

Smiling over at him Saeko turned to the bag beside her and noticed the duffel was not an ordinary gym bag, but a thick canvas that opened on the end. It was held closed by a loop through a series of holes with a clip through it and had writing on one side that she couldn't quite make out. As she opened it she blinked in surprise at the amount of stuff crammed into the bag and how it all fit so neatly; she almost felt bad for rummaging through it.

Fortunately his clothing was on the top of the bag so accessing it was simple enough. Everything was neatly rolled and it didn't take her long to find a white t-shirt and pair of black running pants. As she put them on she noticed they had a very pleasant aroma; not the smell of detergent but likely the cologne he had packed in with the clothing. Standing up she stretched with a yawn and took a look around the room again in the better lighting.

The room was no bigger than an average bedroom of eight or nine meters across each way but with no furniture it was definitely large enough to be a comfortable place to rest. The walls looked sturdy enough and the doors were fully intact and well-fortified. Seeing that Ryker was still facing away she cleared her throat. "I'm dressed."

Turning around Ryker bit his tongue to keep his jaw from falling open. While the pants were a bit long and the draw-string pulled tightly, the shirt was holding on for dear life. He was taller than her but his girth was not quite adequate to make up for her chest. Immediately reddening slightly he averted his eyes. "I apologize for the lack of sizes but I did not really prepare for a female to need clothing."

Giggling and shaking her head Saeko walked closer to Ryker. "I would hope not Ryker-san. If you had I would be a bit more nervous about being with you."

Noticing that she had closed the distance Ryker turned back and met her eyes feeling his breath catch. Her icy blue eyes held him as still as if he had been frozen solid. After a moment of silence he finally found his voice. "You have nothing to fear when you're with me."

Whether he was speaking about her joking concern about him or he was speaking on a larger scale she wasn't sure but Saeko couldn't help but feel her neck heat up at his comment. "I trust you." She looked around then back at him with hopeful eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have anything to eat here would you?"

Thinking of his duffel, Sarion rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing that is enjoyable. If you would like, wait here and I'll go loo-"

"No Ryker-san. I will come with you." She smiled at him and picked up the knapsack she had 'acquired' the day before. "I have a few snacks in here we can along the way if they are not completely destroyed from my fall."

Ryker was obviously hesitant about accepting Saeko's offer but he could see that arguing would only end in her winning anyhow; he simply could not deny her something so simple. "Alright, but you stay close okay? You are still recovering from a significant fall." He quickly dressed in another pair of black jeans and a tan t-shirt.

Nodding, Saeko approached the window and before Ryker could offer assistance she had already slipped outside. After he followed she smiled at him contently. "I forgot to mention Ryker-san, I was captain of the Kendo Club in my school."

Laughing and rubbing his neck, Ryker sighed. "Remind me to not get on your bad side Saeko-san."

Saeko leaned forward, causing Ryker's neck to heat up. "Well you're doing pretty well so far, keep it up." She smirked and stood up straight again. "So do you know the area Ryker-san?"

Swallowing hard, Ryker nodded. "I've been staying here for a few weeks now so I've got the area down." As he turned away he surveyed the area for any of 'them' and began walking south. "There's a small market up here on the corner. It should be somewhat untouched compared to the busier areas."

Before long they had come to the small store and saw that while the glass was broken, the store did not look ransacked. Ryker put an arm up and stepped inside first causing Saeko to flinch in realization that he had no weapon in hand. What if one of 'them' attacked? Unable to simply stay behind, Saeko moved after Ryker.

A sound behind her froze her in place. Turning slowly she saw one of 'them' coming towards her and her chest tightened in fear; her desire to fight was still intact but her lack of a weapon made even the smallest mistake fatal. And dying was not the worst part of the exchange.

"DUCK!" came a shout from the direction she had originally headed and no sooner had Saeko dropped low, a knife slammed into the face of the man standing less than a meter away. Looking back she saw Ryker kneeling on the counter, pulling a second knife from his boot. _'So that's what he killed the ones that came for me with?' _Saeko felt the familiar warmth creeping up her neck as the rush of what had just occurred caught up with her.

Ryker however was already running to the door with another knife in hand. This knife was identical to the one lodged in the head of the man on the floor beside her; black metal handle with a flip out blade that was as long as her hand. Looking over his shoulder he offered a strained smile. "Saeko-san, would you please grab some food? My outburst may have alerted more."

Nodding in understanding Saeko grabbed a bag from the counter and began stuffing it with bread, peanut butter, jam, canned goods and another handful of pastries. Turning around she saw three of 'them' coming towards the store front. As she rushed outside she retrieved his knife and grabbed a mop stick, snapping the end off; much like what Rei used back when they were in the school. Rei. Saeko wondered if they were safe with Takagi's mother. Shaking her head she focused on the more imminent threat and stepped outside next to Ryker.

Noticing Saeko was beside him, Ryker couldn't help but smile. Her bravery was definitely attractive and her help was not to be scoffed at; he knew how seriously schools here took their martial arts and for her to be captain she had to be good. There was a small crowd of 'them' now moving towards them and neither had the urge to flee.

Looking at her with a nod, he charged the two on his left while Saeko went right. When Ryker came up to the first creature, an obese man with a goatee, he didn't even hesitate as he ducked under the outstretched arms and slammed the knife into the base of the man's skull. Pulling away he kicked another in the sternum and heard a satisfying crack as the teen-age boy crumpled backwards from the kick before slowly wobbling back to his feet. Side-stepping another swipe from an elderly woman Ryker twisted his grip on the blade and struck her skull with the base of the knife, cracking her skull and spilling brain matter onto the pavement.

Saeko was on a tear of her own, whipping the mop handle in an arc of near bloodlust. She had already felled three of 'them' and as a middle-aged man in a business suit reached for her she thrust the sharpened end through an eye and out the back of his head, dropping him instantly. Panting from the exertion she turned as Ryker delivered a crushing kick to a man in a jogging suit that had tried to crawl over to him. Looking around she smiled in satisfaction; they had dispatched a decent number of 'them' and she had done it without smashing the bag she carried.

Running to her side, Ryker snatched her now free hand and pulled her along in a jogging pace back to their shelter. After they were inside Ryker slid down the wall with a sigh and Saeko utilized a mirror to see how badly she had ruined the clothing given to her.

"I'm sorry Saeko-san."

Turning and giving him a confused look, Saeko tilted her head to the side. "What for Ryker-san?"

He wiped the blood from his face and looked up at her with hurt in his eyes. "I put you in danger and you were forced to fight, despite your injuries."

Saeko crossed the room and knelt down before him, sitting on her feet. "You saved my life for the second time Ryker-san. As for my injuries, once my adrenaline kicked in outside I didn't even feel them." She smiled warmly at him in hopes to return that smile in his eyes that somehow made her feel safe, secure.

Ryker reached out, startling Saeko but not enough for her to move, and wiped a glob of blood from under her left eye. The action was innocent enough but neither could deny the charge they felt lingering after the contact. Offering her a smile in return, he nodded. "Please promise that you'll be more careful in the future?"

Trying to fight the blush in her cheeks, Saeko smiled and nodded. "I promise." She looked at him coyly. "And does this mean you wish for me to remain with you?"

Stammering and turning red at her statement Ryker closed his eyes and swallowed hard before responding. "I just figured we would be much better off if we worked together Saeko-san, being alone is dange-"

"Chan" Saeko interrupted in a soft voice.

Ryker blinked and reddened further. "Pardon?"

She slid her feet out from under her to each side and rested her hands in her lap. Her cheeks had a slight blush to them now. "Call me Saeko-chan. I think we're a bit beyond the formalities." She giggled and leaned closer, speaking softly. "That and Saeko-san would be more appropriate if I was older than you, Ryker-san."

Swallowing hard Ryker swore the temperature in the room had soared in the past couple of moments. "As you wish Saeko-sa… Saeko-chan. Then perhaps you could drop the san as well?"

She smiled and placed a finger to her chin as if in thought before nodding. "Alright, Ry-kun."

Feeling a bead of sweat trail down his neck Ryker cleared his throat. "Okay then. We should eat now. I don't know about you but something about killing the undead awakens my hunger."

Sitting back and grabbing the bag, Saeko smirked. "You have no idea."

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Hey look! They killed stuff! I know, it's a lot of fluff and not much tough but such times will come. This IS a zombie-fic after all. Many zombies will be harmed in the making of this project. I definitely pushed the envelope on Saeko's flirty side this chapter but I thought it was pretty okay there. I am still struggling with the whole "to comma or not to comma, that is the question!" because I comma for effect. So sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. Sorry. Anyhow it's 1am here and I work in 5 hours and I have no days off until we get done with deployment so I'm not proofing this. I rather get it posted now and edit it later. Do not hesitate to PM me with any catches you make!_

_**Zeno518: **__Thank you for reviewing and I really hope that's a good thing! I never read the manga. REALLY want to! She's a bit flirty in this chapter but I would be too if someone saved my life twice… :P Don't fret either, I hate having to say it but if I don't someone will comment on it: He's not nearly an invincible type. I hate those. Ryker is going to be very heavy on realism, just gotta give him time to open those doors._

_**Caet: **__I hope I did not disappoint! She's got a lot of personality to cover and this one focused on her more enjoyable traits in my opinion. I absolutely __**love**__ Saeko's personality and how she can transform from half-naked flirt to sagely wisdom giver to blood-thirsty lunatic. Love it!_

_I really hope you all continue to R&R otherwise I won't know what to change or maintain besides how __**I **__feel about it!_


	5. Dark Pasts and a Bright Future

**Chapter 4**

**Dark Pasts and a Bright Future**

After their lunch Saeko opted for a nap after allowing Ryker to change her bandages, smirking at his blushing face as he worked. She was impressed at his skill as he effortlessly wrapped the bandages and secured them. He definitely was a lot more than he let on but she figured he would share when he was ready. It wasn't as if he was the only one withholding personal information. She offered him a smile before lying down and slipping the shirt off as she slid under the covers for a nap.

Ryker waited for her to fall asleep before slipping out the window as quietly as he could after pulling on a pair of black gloves and a black backpack. Looking around for any sign of 'them' he made his way back to the spot that he originally found her and began rummaging through the wreckage. He knew he had seen what he was looking for that night but the amount of 'them' that had made their way to the area at the sound of Saeko hitting the train siding had deterred him then.

Pushing a body out of the way he sighed as he looked down. Broken. Shaking his head he collected the pieces and placed them in his pack. Ryker refused to go back empty-handed and even now he wanted to find a way to see that smile that made his heart race. Looking to the sky he figured he had a few hours before Saeko would wake up and the sun going down didn't really matter since 'they' would be out day and night anyhow.

As Ryker walked up a few sets of steps towards a strangely shaped building a noise up ahead forced him to stop in his tracks. There were four of 'them' roaming above the last set of stairs between him and the building he was heading for. _'I really rather not risk the knife with four, one wrong move and I'm toast.'_ Moving slowly towards them he noticed one of the handrails was broken and hanging on by a small piece of metal. With a smile, he gave it a sharp twist and jerk pulling it free with a not so subtle creak.

Looking up at the four above him Ryker felt his heart rate increase and an excited tremor shook through him. _'I should not be enjoying this. I should not be enjoying this.' _He thought to himself as he held the pipe tightly in a gloved hand. The gloves were incredibly comfortable being made with Nomex over the backs and vented leather over the palm-side. They even had a polycarbonate mold over the knuckles for both offensive and defensive purposes. The pipe was about a meter long and a just wide enough to fit perfectly in Ryker's hand.

Making his way towards the group still a few meters from him, Ryker couldn't help but see the faces of who used to inhabit the body. Two were middle-aged wearing business suits, one was an overweight woman with a yellow sundress on covered in splashes of blood and the last was a teenage girl with a pink dress that had nearly survived blood-free but had handprints along the bottom. He knew better. These were not people anymore; they were monsters. He still couldn't help feel a little guilty as he nearly took the head off of the girl with a powerful swing but the splatter of blood pushed his adrenaline high into gear as he launched into the other three without hesitation.

* * *

Saeko sat up and stretched, yawning in the process. Pulling the blanket up to cover her shirtless upper body she looked around the room and realized she was alone. Where had Ryker gone and why hadn't he woken her if he was leaving? Dropping the blanket she removed her bra and let out a sigh of relief; she had been wearing it for far too long and the releasing of pressure felt outstanding. Knowing Ryker would likely fall back out the window if he climbed in now, Saeko pulled on a clean black shirt of his and giggled at the mental image. He was very sweet and very bashful. _'And very cute.'_

Getting out of the too-comfortable bedroll Saeko rummaged through the bag to see what she could put together for a meal. Seeing a can of tuna she squealed in delight but then scowled at it; no can-opener. Looking over at Ryker's bag she figured he might have something in there that could be used. Dumping the bag beside the bedroll she gasped as his belongings spilled out.

Spread across the floor were dozens of bandages similar to what he had used on her in addition to many she did not recognize that were in an olive green airtight packaging written in English. She could tell they were medical by the Red Cross symbols on them but they varied in size and shape; some were soft and others hard, some had multiple items inside with needles and tubing. Brushing the medical supplies back into the bag she looked over and gathered up the still neatly rolled clothing and placed it up beside the wall. Among the clothing were dozens of shirts from black to white to tan, pairs of white socks, black shorts and a few pairs of jeans and running pants, all black.

Saeko shook her head. How he managed to fit such a massive amount of things into a single duffel amazed her and she wasn't even through it all yet. Fold out knives. Straight-bladed knives. A pair of tan leather boots. Three belts, two black leather and one a tan corded material. A few tan airtight bags of a durable plastic material the size of dictionaries but not quite the weight. Dozens of batteries with the ends taped over. A few rolls of olive green duct tape. The last object stood out from the rest; it was a shiny black metal box just big enough to require two hands with a silver clasp on it.

Unable to resist temptation, she opened it and nearly dropped the box at seeing what it held. Seated in in the small box was a display of medals and ribbons; dog tags sat in the middle wrapped around a medal that looked like a parachute with wings on each side. Taped to the inside lid of the box was a picture that gave Saeko chills. A blonde little girl, perhaps four years old, was being held against the chest of a man in a dark blue military uniform with a maroon beret atop his head. The man smiling at the little girl with a face devoid of anything other than adoration was Ryker.

Feeling the weight of the situation around her intensifying exponentially Saeko felt tears stream down her face as she stared at the picture. How could a 'god' allow such a vile event to occur in a world that held such beauty? What had happened since this picture was taken? Without even knowing the little girl's name or why it tore at her heart the way it did Saeko let loose a sob before dissolving into tears. Where was everyone's god now when the world needed him most?

* * *

The sun had already set by the time an exhausted Ryker pulled himself up through the window of the building he and Saeko now shared. Dropping down silently, he noticed Saeko appeared to still be sleeping however the room appeared different. _'Of course it looks different. I have this absolutely beautiful girl sharing it with me now.' _Shaking his head Ryker turned and placed his 'prize' down behind him and shrugged off the backpack before setting it on the table beside the battery-powered lamp.

Ryker reached for the lamp but stopped. If she was sleeping then she needed the rest and he wasn't exactly going to argue with the idea of lying down again. As quietly as he could manage he slipped off his gloves and sneakers before kneeling beside the bedroll opposite from Saeko and removing his shirt. The pants had survived blood-free somehow and so remained as he slid under the blanket.

No sooner had his head touched the pillow than Saeko rolled over to face him, her eyes red and puffy. Before he could speak she put a finger to his lips. "If you need sleep I can wait but if not I would like to ask you some things Ry-kun."

His mind reeling, Ryker nodded and sat up in the darkness. "Saeko-chan, you can ask me anything you want." _'What could have brought this on?'_

Saeko turned and picked up the small black box and sat up, facing him with her legs both to one side. "Who are you?"

Tenderly taking the box from Saeko, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted to think about was this but he understood her curiosity. After taking a moment to collect himself Ryker looked up and met her beautiful blue eyes with his soft brown; they betrayed the sadness he felt though his voice was neutral. "My name is Ryker Belmont and I was once an Army medic. I served for six years before leaving it and America behind me. While I was deployed for my second time my father became ill and died before I could get home to see him. When I got home I went in for Airborne training; training that teaches you to parachute out of airplanes, in honor of my father."

He ran a hand through his hair, obviously trying to keep his emotions in check. Saeko reached out and took his other hand in both of hers. "If you don't want to continue-"

A warm smile stopped her as he met her gaze again. "It's alright Saeko; it's only fair that you know the man you share shelter with." He took a breath and continued. "Shortly after I got back home my ex-fiance was in a terrible accident. My daughter was with her." His jaw tensed. "Neither survived." Saeko's eyes widened and one of her hands covered her mouth but he went on. "That was when I decided I needed to leave the States. I had no reason to stay and I had always wanted to visit Japan. Once I got here I was accepted into a great position at a clinic and I've been staying here on a work visa."

Squeezing his hand tightly, Saeko bit her bottom lip as she tried to think of something to say. She had expected him to say he was surviving in hopes of returning home to see her or that it was a family member. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss Ry-kun." She mentally chided herself as soon as the words left her mouth. _'Is that really the best thing you could have said? Really? He doesn't want pity. He didn't even want to talk about it but we had to ask him. I really do deserve to be alone.'_

Ryker surprised her with his bright smile returning to both his lips and his eyes. "It's in the past Saeko-chan. Besides it's not like I'm the only person who has lost something, it is a zombie apocalypse after all."

Saeko somehow found a smile on her face as well, unable to resist the urge when he smiled at her like that. "We do, which makes me wonder." She smacked his shoulder. "Where the hell did you go without saying a word? What if you had gotten attacked or worse?" Gasping she noticed a spot of blood at his hairline that he had missed during his hasty clean-up on the way back. "You did get attacked!"

Startled by the sudden barrage Ryker couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry! I just had to go get something." Seeing her eyes narrow, Ryker knew he was on dangerous ground but simply offered another wide smile. "I am thinking you will be happy once you see what I've got for you."

Letting go of his hand Saeko looked at him thoughtfully. He left in the middle of the day by himself to get her something? A blush crept into her cheeks. "Well, let's see it."

"Ever since you told me you were captain of the kendo club I remembered seeing something with you when you fell but I was too concerned with your injuries to grab it at the time." He got up and walked across the room causing Saeko to prop up on her knees to turn with him. "So I went back to the place you fell and retrieved it." Her eyes lit up but she saw disappointment in his face when he turned the lamp on, illuminating the room in a soft glow. "However it was damaged beyond repair." Ryker dumped the shattered bokken out on the table.

Saeko walked over and placed a hand on the pieces with a sigh. "You truly are a wonderful person Ry-kun. You risked your life for a piece of wood that I had when I fell?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Ryker nodded. "I recognized it as a bokken and figured you would want it back, one way or another." He smiled and turned away from her. "However I also knew you would want something to protect yourself with." Turning back to face her he held out the item he had retrieved earlier.

"This is… is…" Saeko stood there dumbfounded as Ryker handed her the priceless katana from a nearby temple. She recognized the silver symbols along the shiny black saya as ones of a master craftsman. The black tsuka had red cord making up the ito, giving the weapon a truly amazing look. Looking up from the katana to Ryker she felt her entire body heat up as if she was standing next to a bonfire. "Ry-kun…" her voice quivered.

"Yes Saeko-chan?"

"You are truly an amazing man Ry-kun. I've never met anyone like you before. You have no idea the value this is to me to know you risked your life for it." Saeko looked into his eyes, amazed by the comfort they offered her every time she gazed into them.

Ryker swallowed his nervousness and flashed a bright smile. "I remembered seeing it a few weeks ago on a tour and thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen." Rubbing the back of his neck as a blush crept into his cheeks he added. "And now it's the second most beautiful thing."

Saeko blushed and looked away, surprised by his brazen compliment. "You are far too good to me Ry-kun." Her eyes dulled slightly and her shoulders slumped. "Much better than I deserve."

Frowning at her sudden change of attitude, Ryker placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to look back up into his eyes. "I treat you as I feel you should be treated Saeko-chan. You deserve nothing less, if anything I wish I could do more despite our current situation."

She smiled but it seemed hollow. "Even though I almost killed someone?"

Seeing that she wanted to talk about it, Ryker walked her over to the bedroll and sat across from her with his legs crossed as she knelt down to see on her feet.

Saeko smiled a small smile at his willingness to listen. It was better if he knew now, before… "Four years ago. I was attacked on the street at night. I had a practice sword with me. I started hitting him and once I started I-I didn't stop. I-I c-couldn't stop." Her voice wavered as she stuttered out the words but no tears hid in her sapphire eyes. "It was… he was… After I told the police what happened they gave me a ride home in the police car."

Ryker couldn't help but interrupt. "But it was just self-defense."

Looking at him with patient eyes she tilted her head to the side. "It might have started out that way but to be honest… I enjoyed it. Just letting the rage out against someone." She paused. "There was nothing but joy." She closed her eyes, her mind replaying the events as she spoke. "When I realized I had the upper-hand, I felt so clam. And I pretended I was terrified. Then when I had him I fought back. I fought until there was nothing but blood and bones. It was bliss, absolute total pleasure." She looked up at him, her eyes wide and mouth turned up in a strange smile. "That's me! Me! That's who I am, can't you see? The feeling of power, of control over someone else's life! I loved it! Does anyone like that deserve love?" She let out a dark giggle.

"I'm a soldier Saeko! I know what it feels like to end someone's life!" Ryker was not raising his voice but his tone was firm enough to show the emotion he felt. "And ever since this, this THING happened I've felt the same way!"

"You became that way after this thing happened. I was like that before. Nothing about me has changed. I realized that earlier today by the store." She looked away. "It almost feels like it has gotten worse."

Ryker reached out and grabbed her hand causing her to gasp as he pulled her over to him and looked into her eyes now only inches away. "We are who we are Saeko-chan. Nothing we've done in the past matters anymore. All that matters is what we do from here on out." He leaned close, touching his forehead to hers. "All that matters to me is protecting you, Saeko-chan."

Saeko let out a small gasp before their lips met; Ryker's right hand rested on the small of her back to hold her close as both her arms snaked around him to return the tight embrace. Neither of them noticed when the lantern flickered and went out as the battery finally died.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Oh man. Longest chapter I've ever written for any fic! But I have to give credit to a HUGE portion of the last scene coming from Episode 9, Minute 14-18 or so. The scene was FAR too imperative to Saeko's story to leave out and a HUGE reason as to why I began the story at the wire, not after they left the mansion. I found that event to be a major moment for Saeko to share with someone._

_Did I do okay? I know it's a "pillow chapter" due to how much fluff I had in there but I had some killing! I enjoyed writing this chapter. If it wasn't so late I'd totally get the next one banged out too. So I hope you all enjoy reading it even half as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_Terms!_

_Saya: No, not the name of the pink-haired girl! Saya is the name for a katana's scabbard or sheath. _

_Tsuka: The hilt! What you hold._

_Ito: The name of the cord wrapped around the tsuka. It is wrapped in a VERY specific way. Only cord wrapped this way is called 'ito'._

_So you have an idea of the AWESOME gloves Ryker is wearing during his violence! (remove spaces, replace the K with C)  
_

_**tinyurl . kom /RykerGloves**_


	6. Fool Me Once

**Chapter 5**

**Fool Me Once…**

Clouds blocked the sun's ascent into the morning sky as if refusing to allow light to be shed on the ravaged world below. Every nation around the globe had been infested with the strange phenomenon of the dead returning to life with a hunger for living flesh. Driven by nothing but the urge to feed and the reaction to sound these strange creatures swarmed as hordes over the land killing everything they came in contact with.

But for a short time none of this mattered in a small condemned building in central Japan. Not to a man who had awoken holding a woman he believed more beautiful than any sunrise. To him the only thing that mattered was keeping her safe and finding a more permanent solution to their living conditions, together or apart.

Looking down at the mess of indigo hair resting against his bare chest Ryker couldn't help but smile. He had gambled big the other night, risking everything with that kiss, but in the end it had been worth it. After their kiss, that time-stopping kiss that made him forget they were survivors in an apocalypse, they had simply lain down and went to sleep. Saeko had been less shy about nestling against him and he had been more than happy to receive her.

Brushing her hair from her face Ryker held back a chuckle at the bit of drool trailing down her chin. For being such a tough girl she was almost too adorable when she slept. When she adjusted against him a blush filled his cheeks as he felt her barely covered breasts pressing against him. Somehow he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to someone so gorgeous being so exposed.

"Is it morning?" A muffled voice whispered, causing Ryker to tense at the feel of hot breath on his skin.

"It is morning Saeko-chan." He smiled down at her as her sapphire eyes rose to meet his; the dazed look of fighting back the haze of sleep still occupying them. Reaching down with his left hand, his right arm busy supporting his weight, he gently wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth with a thumb. "Though the sun is behind clouds, it is a beautiful morning indeed."

Blushing at his action and his compliment, Saeko continued to look into his soft brown eyes. She wasn't sure why but she found such comfort in them as if without speaking a word he was assuring her everything would be okay. "How long have you been up?" She propped up on her left side, facing him as she stretched languidly.

As he struggled to keep his eyes on her face when the blanket fell, Ryker realized she was teasing him. "Not long, I just couldn't wake you when you were sleeping so peacefully. Besides, it's not like we're going to be late for anything." He offered a smile before turning to pull a fresh pair of socks on.

Feeling a sudden soft pressure against his back, Ryker froze mid-pull of his second sock. A soft voice whispered in his ear and sending chills down his spine enough to ripple his arms with goose bumps. "Then what's your hurry to get out of bed _Ry-kun_?"As she said his name it almost purred out of her lips.

Ryker felt his face heat up and found that though his mouth worked, sound was not produced. Turning to face Saeko he placed both hands on her shoulders, gently caressing down them causing her to shiver at his touch. Both of their breaths were coming out in short pants and the room felt significantly warmer than it had moments ago.

Saeko ran a hand down Ryker's chest, feeling every ripple and groove; he was not a very large man but he certainly took care of his body. Biting her bottom lip she let her hand trail down to his naval, slowly grazing her nails across the skin as she continued her descent while at the same time leaning towards him.

"Saeko-chan…" Ryker barely managed to breathe out her name, their lips a breath apart and her hand grasping at the waistband of his boxers. His hands had slid to her sides, his thumbs tracing the bottom ridge of her barely contained bra.

A child's scream in the distance froze them both. At her second scream Ryker was already on his feet, pulling on jeans and his sneakers in a hurried fashion. He stopped at the window and grabbed something that was attached to the underside of the table.

"Saeko, wait here!"

"But Ryker!"

Rather than respond he lifted the window out and dropped to the ground below. Saeko sat there stunned at how things had shifted so many times in so few seconds. She was not happy with the interruption and even less happy that he had taken off on his own. _'Why did that girl's voice sound so familiar? I guess all children screaming would sound the same. Unless…' _She gasped and ran over to the window, seeing Ryker had already disappeared down the street. He was headed right for the trap that she had fallen victim to just the other day.

* * *

"It's okay little girl, just let go and I'll catch you!"

Korone looked down at the middle-aged man and let go, landing softly in his arms. He wore a simple gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans. "Thank you mister! The scary monsters are everywhere!"

The man smiled at the small girl and began walking down the road as she directed him in attempt to find her parents. He was an ordinary man who had somehow managed to survive the initial onset of the violence by holing himself up in his basement. However when food ran short he knew he needed to get out and find what he could salvage. Within minutes he had heard a little girl's scream from nearby and ran to the sound.

As they approached an intersection a single shot rang out causing the man to stumble back before falling lifeless to the pavement. A single red spot appeared on his chest before it consumed his shirt as his severed aorta pumped blood into the fabric and out onto the street.

"Takagi! We were supposed to talk to him first!" came an angry female voice.

The man holding the still smoking revolver smirked and took a drag of his cigar. "Whatever. He looked too weak to be worth recruiting. Dano, go check him for cash or valuables."

As the smaller man obediently ran over to the body and knelt beside it, Korone already back by her mother's side, he looked up in frustration. "The guy's got nothin' boss! Just some cheap watch. Not even a ring or a wallet!"

Takagi took another puff of his cigar and shrugged. "Mitsuno just radioed in a moment ago. Apparently our little bait managed to score another individual. He claims it to be an American boy and in good shape. We might be able to find use for him if he's not too headstrong. Regardless, Dano set up behind the car and be ready in case he tries anything."

* * *

Two days. It had been two days since they had split up and gone with Saya's mother while Saeko had run off on her own. Was she still alive? Was she hurt? Did she have somewhere she was hiding out safely? Had she run into more survivors?

Takashi sighed and rubbed his face as if trying to generate the answers to his questions. Looking over at Rei's napping form he couldn't help but smile. It had been a long day. He had gotten into it with both Saya and Kohta and even argued with a group of Takagi's men about Kohta keeping the weapons he had possessed. It was amazing to him how so much could occur in a single day.

Since that day when Saya's mother had rescued them Takashi had spent a lot of time thinking about everything; some about the dead returning to life but the majority about what he should do about Rei. Since that night in the apartment she had, well, changed. Her attitude towards him had been far more pleasant and she seemed to never want to be away from him for long.

He knew she was still reeling from everything that had happened before but when she declared that she loved him and was truly morose about hurting him it had struck a chord deep within his heart. _'Am I still in love with her? I think I am but it's so hard to tell with so much going on right now. Maybe it's worth giving a shot…"_

His thoughts trailed off as Rei woke beside him with a yawn and a stretch. It was mid-afternoon but time really didn't matter anymore. As it was he would have let her sleep as long as she wanted; her back injury still not fully healed from her tumble.

Looking over as the groggy brunette rubbed her eyes Takashi still wasn't quite sure on how he felt. What he was sure of though, was the fact he was going to give her a chance. What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

Ryker rounded the corner in full sprint, his eyes scanning the buildings as he ran in search for the child he heard. He knew it was reckless to run out here without a plan and straight foolish to attempt to be out here helping someone else but what could he do? A father's drive is an impossible thing to overcome.

As he rounded another street he saw a little girl sitting in the middle of the street in tears. Coming to a halt almost a hundred meters away he ducked behind a burned-out car. _'This doesn't make sense. She screamed as if in danger and now she's sitting in the street alone? If nothing else those things should have been attracted to the sound. Something is wrong.'_

Looking up at the buildings Ryker caught a puff of smoke come from a second story across the street. Looking to the street level below, a dozen or more cigarette butts littered the ground. _'A look-out? What is going on here?'_

Dropping to all fours he felt his vision double, his head pounding and his mouth suddenly dry. All he could taste was… sand?

_"Belmont! Stop fucking off and pay the hell attention!"_

_ Rolling his eyes Ryker turned down his iPod and looked over at the livid solider beside him as they bounced down the pathetic excuse for a road they were on. "I get it Evans calm down. We go in, evaluate their wounded and we go. No different than any other time we deal with these dirt bag civilians."_

_ Specialist Renee Evans scowled at the man addressing her. "Listen up Belmont, I get it. You don't like the people here. We don't have a choice though, you know the mission!"_

_ Ryker shrugged. "I still say this is a waste of our time and money. Just let the animals kill each other off and allow them to rot in their filthy country. We've lost too damn many soldiers here already and I'll be damned if I let them take you too. Renee." Using her first name, his tone softens to an affectionate level. "I've lost enough friends here. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too."_

_ Opening her mouth to protest, Renee can't hide the blush that crosses her face as the gunner looks down and smirks at them both. "Don't try and butter me up now Belmont, I'm still mad at you after last time."_

_ Raising his arms in defense Ryker smiles at her disarmingly. "Renee, I had a jump at 0400 hours. I had to leave and I didn't want to wake you!"_

_ Renee slapped his shoulder, the dapper plate from his IOTV absorbing the impact. "Do you have to talk about it so openly?!"_

_ With a laugh Ryker winked. "I have nothing to hide; I'm more than happy to share my adoration for you to the whole unit."_

_ Renee looked out the window, pretending to fume but having a smile etched on her face. He was certainly a wonderful man both in and out of uniform. They had been 'dating' for a few months on their deployment together in Afghanistan. Every mission she went on, he had volunteered to assist and turning down a decorated medic with the training he had was rarely refused._

_ They rolled into the village of their destination as a convoy of eleven vehicles. Four of the trucks were gun trucks, specialized in defending the convoy and three were medical, the rest were for supplies and fuel. It had been a long drive but uneventful. Most of the soldiers had relaxed in their seats, catching naps or reading books._

_ Ryker on the other-hand held no trust for the people they were sent to assist. Though he listened to music on the ride his eyes were always out the window scouting for inconsistencies. As they pulled onto the main road Ryker caught a glimpse of light reflecting from a high window on a nearby building. As he craned his neck he noticed a pile of cigarette butts at the base of the building._

_ With wide eyes Ryker snapped back to facing the front. "AMBUSH!"_

_ No sooner had he screamed the word than an audible 'crack!' was heard and their gunner dropped lifelessly into the vehicle. The driver, panicking, hit the gas in an attempt to get out of the kill zone. Ryker's eyes met with Renee's but before he could speak he felt the weight of the vehicle suddenly shift as if the ground below it was not the same as before._

_ 'Oh fuck…'_

_ The thought barely had time to register before the charge buried beneath the street detonated with a thunderous explosion, ripping the MRAP clean in half. Pieces were thrown like children's toys and more explosions were heard as the other vehicles took rocket fire and hit IED's of their own._

_ Blinking through the blood running down his face Ryker rolled his head to the side in search of Renee. The ringing in his ears blocked out all other sound and all he could see were the local soldiers approaching. 'So much for training them to work alongside us…'_

* * *

Saeko turned down the street cautiously and saw Ryker kneeling beside a vehicle but something was wrong; he appeared to be talking to himself as he stared at the ground before him. Approaching him slowly a voice called out from above.

"Don't even think about moving girlie."

Mentally kicking herself for her carelessness, Saeko scanned the buildings and saw a man pointing a rifle at her from the second story. If she could just get behind cover…

"Hey Mitsuno!" Another voice that Saeko recognized as the bald man from the day before, Takagi. "I thought you said it was a guy? Are you both blind AND retarded?" Squinting at the indigo-haired girl less than a hundred meters away his eyes widened in surprise. "Shit, it's you! Thought you were dead!" He smirked. "Don't worry, we won't kill ya. But you need to come with us this time or Mitsuno is going to have to waste ya."

As he spoke three other of the members stepped out near him and slowly made their way towards her, guns in hand. With a glare she slid her hand along her katana, more than prepared to fight. _'They haven't noticed Ryker yet, what's wrong with him?' _Her eyes inadvertently flicked over to the man who was shaking his head as if trying to regain his senses.

One of the men followed her gaze and made his way for the car causing Saeko to flinch. _'Dammit, if I yell the guy in the window will shoot him the second he stands up. I'll have to get his attention somehow.' _Standing tall she called out loudly despite the quiet road in an attempt to break Ryker free of whatever was plaguing him. "Whoever tries to touch me loses their arm. You'd be better off killing me than ever thinking I'd belong to any of you."

With a heavy sigh Takagi shrugged. "Fine. I'm done dealing with this little bitch. Someone shoot her already."

A shot rang out causing Saeko to close her eyes tightly but no pain followed. Hearing a body hit the ground she looked over towards Ryker just as another two shots rang out in quick succession. The man in the building fell from the window to the street.

Ryker was kneeling beside the car and using the hood for a base as he fired off two more rounds catching a third man in the chest twice. Beside him was the body of the man who had gone to investigate Saeko's gaze and had met the end of an M9 in a bad way as he looked over the trunk.

It was a gunfight now. Bullets were peppering the side of the vehicle Ryker was behind but his face was an absolute calm as he sat down, resting his back against the car between the front door and the front tire. He knew the engine block was far more reliable to stop the bullets than the cheap fiberglass doors. He dropped into the prone and aimed a shot at a nearby thug's crotch, the highest point he could see at his angle and fired a round, followed by a second into the man's chest as he fell.

Saeko had not remained motionless for long once the shots rang out and was now leaning against an alleyway entrance watching the firefight with a mixture of interest and fear. All it would take is one stray bullet to end Ryker's heroics. A shadow behind him caught her attention as he knelt down, facing the brunt of the group again and firing shot after shot in slow but precise succession.

Seeing the man creeping up on Ryker, Saeko sprang into action and sprinted down the sidewalk heedless of the bullets flying in her general direction; some close enough to allow her to hear the whistle they produced. Drawing her katana with practiced ease she slid under a broken storefront sign and brought the weapon up with a mixture of power and finesse.

The result was more than she could have hoped for out of the ancient blade. Blood sprayed the car beside Ryker as the katana scythed through the man from his hip to opposing shoulder; the sound of the separated pieces striking the ground almost as sickening as it was invigorating. Almost.

Ryker spun and looked Saeko in the eyes with a calm expression as if they weren't in the middle of a firefight. Saeko realized however that though he was looking at her, he was not seeing her. "Thanks for the assist Renee." He smiled brightly, his eyes shining. "Now stay put, I can't worry about both of us."

With that he turned and sprinted from behind the car towards a vehicle across the street where he slid behind it with surprising grace. _'Renee? Who the hell is Renee? Did he not recognize me?'_

Saeko peeked out from the car to see that most of the thugs had run away with only two remaining pinning Ryker down at the second vehicle. _'Well,' _she thought to herself with a smile, her blood still racing from the previous kill. _'He told Renee to say, he never said anything about me.'_

Ducking into the alley beside her Saeko ran down the side of the building until she was behind the two unaware gunmen. It wasn't a short distance to them but she was confident that she could handle them. Crouching low and moving silently Saeko crept up behind the two men as close as she could behind cover. _'Damn, still too far. Oh well, what's the fun if there's no danger?'_

As soon as the first man stopped to reload Saeko darted from the cover and lunged forward with her katana, aiming to sever the man's head with a single swipe. The man elicited a half-gasp before his head separated from his body and landed on the hood of the vehicle he was using as cover. The other man spun, weapon raised but managed only a gurgle as blood filled his lungs from a bullet to the back.

Ryker ran over to her causing Saeko to gasp at the sight of him in just his jeans and sneakers. She had never seen him without a shirt in a well-lit situation before and now that she did she noticed numerous scars across his chest and abdomen. None were unattractive, in fact to Saeko they were the opposite, but they definitely looked to have a story behind them.

Standing before her, eyes filled with concern, Ryker took her chin and inspected her. "Renee, I told you to stay put. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Feeling a blush rising but more from frustration than embarrassment, Saeko slapped Ryker. Whether it was to gather his wits or out of anger at being called the wrong name, she didn't bother considering. "Ryker-san! It's me Saeko!"

Blinking in confusion and finally focusing on Saeko's face a smile appeared on his own, relief showing in his features. "Saeko-chan…"

Saeko crossed her arms under her breasts and looked away with a huff. "About time you recognized me. And you ran off without me! Again! I was trying to warn you it was a trap!"

Stepping intimately close, Ryker waited for her to meet his eyes before offering a warm smile that chipped at her defenses. "I know Saeko-chan. I promise I will never leave you behind again."

Blushing at their proximity Saeko felt her lips pull into a smile, unable to resist returning his. "You're lucky I was here to save you. Next time you might not _mmph_!" The rest of her sentence was cut off as Ryker's lips pressed to hers, his arms sweeping her up into a tight embrace.

Star-filled seconds later Saeko gasped in a breath as their kiss ended. "Let's head back." She scowled at him playfully. "And you can't always smooth things over with a kiss."

With a shrug Ryker placed an arm around her waist. "I can think of other things to do with my mouth that might dampen your anger towards me." Saeko missed a step.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Longest chapter of my writing career! I just wanted to keep going… but I don't want to cram too much into one happening!_

_Sorry for the delay but this took FIVE sessions to write. It's been a hard week for inspiration. I proofed it but due to length I may have missed something due to some skimming. Feel free to PM me corrections. Most IMPORTANTLY read and review! Reviews make these delays much shorter, honest!_

_There will be questions so I'll answer what I can!_

_First as of last chapter:_

_**PandaTrueno86: **__This is going to heavily focus on Saeko/OC but, as you saw above, I will have the others still exist. As for the meeting up, I have much planned for that!_

_I AM TERRIBLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT MORE HOTD!_

_To pre-empt a "Ryker went from bashful to forward!" well yeah, he's emotionally evolving with Saeko. That and it was ambiguous and possibly jesting! You'll have to read next chapter to find out! *gasp*_

_And I promise more Takashi and Rei, this was a "taste" to show where we are in the HOTD timeline._

_Now for some vocab!_

_MRAP: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (Vehicle). It's a the primary vehicle US Army uses over here(Afghanistan) to withstand most IED's but even it is not impenetrable._

_IED: Improvised Explosive Device. Things that go boom._

_IOTV: Improved Outer Tactical Vest. U.S. Army body armor._

_M9: Beretta M9 is standard issue U.S. Army pistol that fires a 9mm round. Highly accurate but not much power._


	7. Snapped

**Chapter 6**

**Snapped**

_Author's Note_

* * *

_I don't like putting these up here but I feel obligated. This chapter has a song incorporated into it. It is "Hero of War" by Rise Against. I obviously do not own this. I recommend listening to it to get the full grasp of how Ryker is feeling during this time. Next chapter will explain even further._

* * *

The sun was retreating over the horizon as Ryker and Saeko finished rummaging through the grocery store a few blocks from the house they were staying in. The majority of the perishables were already rotting from the heat of the day; the electricity had been out for days in this neighborhood it seemed. What was left did not do much for their morale as most of the worthwhile stock had been pillaged already by other survivors. This was the third store they had gone to and each one seemed to have less than the others.

Saeko wanted to ask him about what happened before but knew now was not the time and it was certainly not the place. _'Is it even my business? I mean I could argue that my well-being could be jeopardized but that would crush him and it's not even why I want to know. I want to know because I care.' _She shook her head vigorously causing her loose pony-tail to release and sending her indigo hair askew. Looking out through the strands in front of her eyes she caught Ryker flash a smile in her direction before making his way out of the store. The simple gesture was enough to get her heart racing but before she could consider the thought she heard a scream; this time one of a girl near her age. "Oh shit."

As she hurried out of the store her fears were confirmed seeing Ryker sprinting down the street, the bags on the sidewalk by the door. With a growl of frustration Saeko dropped her bags and ran after him gripping her katana tightly. _'Does he really have to do this?!'_

Turning down a corner she saw Ryker running towards a large gathering of people. Ready to call out for him to wait she nearly choked as she realized that the 'people' gathered were not of the living variety. _'He's going to get himself killed! Idiot!' _She made a move to run after him but failed to notice a soccer ball rolling out from an alley. Looking down at the last moment Saeko pulled her foot back to not step on it but instead slipped on an oil spot and went down hard. Growling in anger at her carelessness she had only a moment to duck as a pair of rotting arms swiped at her. _'Where the hell did they come from?' _There was a group of ten or so ambling towards her from the alley and Ryker had already plunged into the crowd down the road.

"You better be alive when I get to you Ryker Belmont so I can kill you myself!"

* * *

Ryker bolted down the road towards the cluster of 'them' and pulled a knife from his belt to hold in the hand not carrying his M9. He knew it was foolish to run to aid someone else. He knew it was a sort of world where people would die and there was nothing he could do about it. However as both a man and especially as a soldier, former or not, he had an obligation to help someone in distress. And admit it or not, the female variety was still considered precious to him and he was not willing to sacrifice them so easily.

As he barreled through the first row of 'them' he came to his feet beside a young girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen. She wore a simple too-short white skirt and a blue blouse that, while less revealing, was still a size too small. _'Kids.'_ He thought with a shake of his head. Kicking back two that got close he grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her out of the small opening he had created and pushed her back against the fence that was beside them. There was simply no way to run through them all without risking being bitten. He had to fight but his worry for her was distracting.

His knife found its mark twice, dropping two while a hard strike with the pistol grip felled another one but their numbers were incredible. How had she managed to attract so many so quickly? Even the gunfire earlier had done nothing compared to this. Movement to his left caused him to spin in the direction; too late. The girl had panicked and tried to run through a too small opening and was now struggling against two men who appeared to have been workers at a local retail store by their dress. Throwing his knife into the head of one he spun at the other and drove his fist into the creature's jaw sending it staggering. As he knelt down to grab the girl she suddenly let out a gut-wrenching scream and the sound of tearing flesh sounded in his ears. Turning toward her feet he saw one of the men he had knocked down was not out of the fight just yet and had bitten her calf savagely. Within moments she had convulsed and come to a stop. As her fingers twitched to new 'life' her eyes snapped open with a blank stare.

Something inside of Ryker snapped. Time stopped and everything around him evaporated away. He was no longer in a city of Japan, he was back in the desert. Back in Afghanistan. In his arms was not the body of some teenage he had never met, but the one woman he had allowed into his heart after years of solitude.

_**He said son, have you seen the world?**_

_**What would you say if I said that you could?  
Just carry this gun, you'll even get paid.**_

_**I said "That sounds pretty good."**_

Jumping to his feet, Ryker slammed the bottom of his foot into the sternum of the nearest creature. The blow caving in the ribcage and sending it and a few behind it careening to the ground in a jumble of flailing limbs.

_**Black leather boots spit-shined so bright**_

_**They cut off my hair but it looks alright.**_

_**We marched and we sang. We all became friends.**_

_**As we learned how to fight.**_

Something grabbed his shoulder. Without hesitation he twisted and raised the pistol before firing a shot point-blank into the open mouth of the former grocery clerk. Ducking to the side a hard blow from his pistol felled another one.

_**A hero of war. Yeah that's what I'll be.**_

_**And when I come home, they'll be damn proud of me.**_

_**I'll carry this flag, to the grave if I must.**_

_**Because it's the flag that I love, and a flag that I trust.**_

Stooping down he grabbed a pipe that had been discarded at some point. It was only a half-meter in length but it felt sturdy and, with a hard swing to the head of the nearest woman in business attire, proved to be. Ryker's eyes were ablaze seeing the faces of the men from another country, not the undead abominations before him. His body moved on pure instinct.

_**I kicked in the door. I yelled my commands.**_

_**The children they cried but I got my man.**_

_**We took him away a bag over his face**_

_**From his family and his friends.**_

He had broken through the wall of 'them' that separated him from Saeko and now made his way towards her. She was holding her own but their numbers were impressive. Ryker snarled and launched into one that was coming up from behind her.

_**They took off his clothes. They pissed in his hands**_

_**I told them to stop but then I joined in.**_

_**We beat him with guns and batons not just once**_

_**But again and again.**_

Saeko ducked a swipe and beheaded another creature with a combination of exhilaration and distress flooding her. She had seen Ryker coming towards her and the look in his eyes was far from reality. She was truly worried for him now.

Ryker on the other hand had only one thing on his mind; killing everyone near them.

_**A hero of war. Yeah that's what I'll be.**_

_**And when I come home, they'll be damn proud of me.**_

_**I'll carry this flag to the grave if I must.**_

_**Because it's a flag that I love and a flag that I trust.**_

Three shots rang out as Ryker sent three more of 'them' to the afterlife for good. A hard strike landed on his back sending him tumbling forward. Using the momentum of his landing he rolled to his feet and spun in time to nearly decapitate an elderly male wearing a sweater vest and khakis.

_**She walked, through bullets and haze.**_

_**I asked her to stop. I begged her to stay.**_

_**But she pressed on so I lifted my gun**_

_**And I fired away.**_

His back was on fire from the blow but his mind was so far away it was barely registering. The horde numbers had dwindled but still the pressed, katana and pipe making short work of any that got too close.

_**And the shells jumped through the smoke.**_

_**And into the sand the blood now had soaked.**_

_**She collapsed, with a flag in her hand.**_

_**A flag white as snow.**_

Saeko stopped and watched in amazement as Ryker continued to move from creature to creature like a man possessed. He had not slowed down nor did he show signs of tiring. As soon as the pipe connected with a skull he spun in search of another, sometimes striking out the knees then dropping down to finish them off.

_**A hero of war. Is that what they see?**_

_**Just medals and scars. So damn proud of me.**_

_**And I brought home that flag. Now it gathers dust.**_

_**But it's the flag that I love. It's the only flag that I trust.**_

Ryker spun suddenly after the last one had fallen and leveled his M9 on Saeko causing her breath to catch. "Ryker it's me! It's Saeko!" Tears filled her eyes. Was he really so lost that he was going to shoot her?

A gunshot followed by a hollow click sounded as the magazine expended its final round. Hearing a body collapse behind her she turned and gasped; it was the girl he had been trying to save. She had crawled over and managed to stand up right behind Saeko. Looking over to Ryker's eyes she saw how hollow they looked and rushed over to embrace him tightly as his own tears fell into her hair.

_**He said son have you seen the world?**_

_**What would you say if I said that you could?**_

* * *

A few hours had passed since the madness in the street and Saeko had, with great difficulty, not pressed Ryker about the events that had occurred. To say she was worried about him was an understatement and the fact he had not spoken a single word since then did nothing to alleviate it. Since they had gotten back she had taken out what groceries they had acquired and organized them under the table after replacing the battery on the lantern.

The sun was long gone now and the clear sky allowed the full moon to offer its illumination over the desolate streets. Saeko had been staring out the window for nearly half an hour just trying to figure out the events of the day. She had accepted the craziness of the dead rising up to feast on the living and that the world would never be the same but for some reason the frailty in a man she had so much respect for was unsettling to her. There was no question that his motivation was heavily honor driven and as much as she wanted to fault him for it she would be a fool to do so. Without his chivalrous act to rescue her those few nights ago she would be one of those _things_ out there.

With a sigh she started to turn around when a hand on her lower back made her halt with a jump. Looking over her shoulder she saw Ryker's soft brown eyes gazing down into hers, the warmth that got her through the day having returned to them. "Ry-kun…"

Rather than speaking Ryker wrapped both arms around her and pulled into a tight embrace. Before she could speak again he whispered into her hair just loud enough for her to hear him. "Tomorrow I will explain everything to you. If you wish to leave me afterwards I would not hold it against you. Just know that I never wish to see you go Saeko-chan."

"I'd never leav-"

He interrupted her, his voice gentle but it carried a hint of fear. "Don't say anything until I explain everything to you Saeko-chan. It's about a rather dark time of my life. For right now though would you mind coming to bed? I don't know that I could sleep without you beside me tonight."

Nodding her understanding and turning off the lantern, Saeko walked over to the bedroll with him and stripped off her shirt but left her shorts on. She had hoped to find some clothes while out today but it seemed not meant to be. She unhooked her bra and set it atop the shirt; she definitely needed a new one of those and something to match for panties. She had been forced to go today without any and she was thankful Ryker's shorts came with liners similar to swimming trunks.

Ryker wrapped his arms around her as she moved up against him, resting with her face in his chest. No matter how their day went it seemed as though his embrace could shed her fears and insecurities. Together they drifted off into a restless but thankfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

Takashi smiled up at the ceiling as Rei snuggled against his side. The day had been mostly uneventful aside from the house crew's hurrying around and preparing for a big move. After being told to stay out of the way the day before Takashi did just that; he no longer offered to help the people moving boxes and simply spent time with his friends in the guest room. During this down time he had come to realize that he and Rei needed to get back on track. It was the end of the world after all, what better reason to try and make it work?

"Takashi?"

Smiling over at the young girl, he lifted his head to respond. "Yes Alice-chan?"

She was looking out the window. "Do you think Busujima-san is alright?"

Frowning, Takashi looked back at the ceiling. "I'm sure she is Alice-chan. She was the toughest of us in the group. If anyone could survive out there it would be her. With luck we'll run into her when we leave this place in the next few days."

Kohta lifted his head from a pillow on the floor. "We certainly will! Especially if she was smart enough to drop that kendo training sword and grab some firepower!"

Takashi rolled his eyes. "Not everyone can be a crack-shot Hirano. We go with what we are comfortable with. Saeko is fine."

A pinch made him yelp. "Saeko this, Saeko that. You do realize I'm here with you now right?"

Smiling at Rei he nodded and leaned back looking up at the ceiling. "I know Rei and I am thankful you're getting better." At her contented sigh he closed his eyes. Tomorrow was the last day they were intending to remain at Saya's place; they still had family to locate.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Little taste of the Takashi crew to keep you up to date on what's going on. So, overall, how was it? Interesting? Boring? Too much, too little? Reviews inspire much writing. Sorry for the last delay but I was tasked out to a mission by the Pakistan border for a few days. Kinda ate into my writing time :P_

_If you have questions, if you feel something is being forgotten, SPEAK UP! If you're too shy to comment, PM me. I'll respond to 100% of any responses I get. Constructive criticism builds stories._

_Hope I added some depth to Ryker, more than before. Don't worry, more to come. Next chapter might be obscenely long, just a warning._


	8. Make Love, Not War

**Chapter 7**

**Make Love, Not War**

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Warning: This chapter contains explicit content not meant for children. Not that ANY part of my story is meant for children but this one, well, you've been warned._

* * *

Saeko yawned and quickly wiped at her mouth for any remnants of drool before looking up to see Ryker already awake. He was on his back with both arms up behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Reaching out she placed a hand on his chest, smiling as his head turned to face her. "Good morning Ry-kun."

Unable to withhold a smile at the sight of her, Ryker lowered his arms to his sides allowing one to stroke Saeko's long indigo hair. "It most certainly is."

Not missing his connotation, Saeko blushed but kept her sapphire eyes locked on his. "We really need to talk about yesterday Ry-kun."

Ryker sighed and sat up slowly; he was not looking forward to discussing this but it was only fair he supposed. It was a significantly more damning conversation than their last one had been. "I suppose I owe you that much Saeko-chan."

She frowned and propped up onto her knees with her feet tucked under her. "You don't _owe _me Ry-kun. I was more hoping you'd want to tell me." A deeper blush crept into her cheeks as she looked away. "I just want to know everything about you that makes you who you are."

Taking a moment to collect himself at the sight of his topless bedmate, Ryker cleared his throat and looked away. "It's not a pretty story but I suppose. However I know I could never concentrate anywhere else unless you at least put a shirt on."

Blinking in surprise Saeko's face turned cherry-red and she spun away to look for a clean shirt. _'I didn't even think about it! I really need more underwear dammit!' _After pulling a plain tan t-shirt on over her head, she turned back to Ryker. "Okay. Whenever you're ready Ry-kun."

Ryker felt his mouth go dry; the look of her in the tan shirt and black shorts reminding him so much of those times years ago. "I.." He sighed and took a deep breath and began explaining to her the ambush he had fallen into.

Saeko watched him as he spoke, seeing his eyes growing distant and his body language showing the pain of reliving such memories. Without thinking about it she reached out and took his hands in hers, eliciting a small smile from him as he continued.

* * *

_As Ryker saw the rifle carrying locals approaching, he slowly inched his way towards an open hut. They were engrossed over looking at the carnage caused by the explosions and Ryker managed to pull himself in the doorway and prop against the wall. Blood was running down his face, his ears were ringing and he knew at least a few ribs were fractured. None of this mattered though. Live or die he honestly didn't have a care in the world. Aside from one; Renee._

_Leaning out the door, Ryker scanned the scene and felt his heart sink. There were nearly two dozen insurgents scouring for survivors. He shook his head. It didn't matter, all that mattered was finding Renee and getting out of there. He was a medic, not a Ranger. He knew he couldn't save them all and this time, the heart leads the body._

_Leaning back against the inside wall, Ryker closed his eyes and flicked the selector lever on his M4 from safe to semi. Feeling a strange calm overtake him he took another breath and rolled into the doorway, propping his rifle on his forward hand and leveling it at the nearest insurgent._

'_**Lord make me fast and accurate.'**_

_The first shot caught an insurgent right under his left eye sending blood, bone and brain matter spraying into the air like a macabre fountain. Before his body hit the sand another shot struck the man next to him in the shoulder and another caught his throat._

'_**Let my aim be true and my hand faster than those who would seek to destroy me.'**_

_Bullets sprayed the doorway Ryker was in but three more shots dropped another two insurgents before he finally rolled out of the doorway. He sprang to his feet and dove out the window, rolling behind a piece of shredded steel that had once been the door of his vehicle._

'_**Grant me victory over my foes and those that wish to do harm to me and mine.'**_

_Seeing his destination, he leaned out, firing five shots before sprinting towards the fallen soldier. As he reached her, his blood ran cold; there was so much blood. Not having time to consider it further, he pushed his M4 aside so that it was slung over his shoulder. He bent down and grabbed the top of her body armor with one hand while drawing his M9 with the other._

'_**Let not my last thought be –If I only had my gun-'**_

_Firing a barrage of shots at the insurgents, Ryker gasped for breath as he knelt down beside his fallen comrade behind cover. Her face was covered in blood and her eyes were still closed. Ryker felt real fear grip his heart for the first time. "Renee, Renee!" He yelled as he shook her, trying desperately to see those crystal blue eyes open for him._

_After what felt like an eternity her eyes fluttered open and a small smile graced her dark lips. Why were her lips bluish? "Ryker…"_

_Smiling down, Ryker's voice held a noticeable tremor. "Renee, I'm going to get you out of here. You're going to be fi-"_

_A blood-spraying cough interrupted him and caused his heart to race. "Ryker, we both know that isn't how this story ends. I'm sorry we couldn't have met sooner. I really saw myself spending the rest of my life with you." She chuckled, blood frothing at her lips with a pinkish tiny; a sign her lungs were the source of the bleeding. "At least I can do that now."_

_Ryker shook his head, feeling hot tears fall from his eyes. "No Renee, we can fix this. I can decompress your chest, I can occlude the wounds, I can fix-"_

_She placed a hand to his cheek, her fingers the same bluish tint of her lips. "I feel better Ryker. You truly were my angel when my own failed me. Thank you, for everything." She smiled, her crystal blue eyes fading. "I love you Ryker."_

"_Renee!" No response from the limp girl in his arms. "RENEE!"_

'_**And Lord if today is truly the day that you call me home…'**_

_Looking up just as two insurgents rounded the corner Ryker flinched as a shot struck his chest. The IOTV absorbed the brunt of the shot but the impact was still painful but Ryker was nowhere near feeling it. He lifted his pistol and emptied the magazine into both men before throwing it aside and raising his M4. Round after round spit from the end of his rifle out into the clearing, most doing nothing but striking sand or stone._

_As he heard the hollow 'click' of his magazine being empty he saw men surround him from all sides. With one last look down at Renee he closed his eyes. "I love you too Renee."_

'_**Let me die in a pile of empty brass.'[1]**_

_Pulling a grenade from the pouch on his side, Ryker flicked the pin and dropped it into his lap._

* * *

Saeko stared at Ryker with wide eyes and mouth agape. To hear what he had been through in addition to the thought that he would simply drop a grenade in his own lap stunned her. She had known it must have been something traumatic in his past to make him react how he had to the last two situations but she had never imagined this.

She had heard of disorders that soldiers came back with who had fought in the war and experienced traumatic events but living in Japan she had never witnessed it first-hand. Right now she wanted nothing more than to embrace Ryker and soothe the obvious pain he was in. Though his face betrayed no emotion she could see his eyes had unbearable pain within them.

Ryker reached out and stroked Saeko's hair, a small smile present on his face. "If you wish, I could take a break. I can imagine it's not easy sitting and listening to me ramble for so long."

Shaking her head, Saeko smiled in return. "No, please. Only stop if you need to."

He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. What came next was not easy for him to talk about, even more so than the ambush. It was what he feared would cause her to not want to have any part of a monster like him.

"Well," he gestured at himself. "as you can see the grenade did not go off."

* * *

_Ryker stared down at the grenade in a mixture of confusion and frustration. 'What the hell?' Not allowing the American a chance to grab another grenade the insurgents rushed forward and, with a hard strike to the face, dropped him to the sand. _

_He spent two weeks dealing with their asinine questioning. It was a blessing that the movies had been wrong; they did not torture him with electrocution, bladed instruments, or other cruel tools. Simple beatings every day were enough for them to feel accomplished. They didn't seem to realize he had no care about his own life. They had taken from him the only thing he cared about and though he thought of revenge, he simply lacked the motivation. Until they decided to show him how they had disposed of his fellow soldiers caught in the ambush._

_It was nighttime on the fifteenth day of being barely fed and deprived of sleep. Most of the insurgents had moved on to another village and left on a handful behind to deal with Ryker. His captors were tired of his unwillingness to cooperate so decided to crush whatever spirit he had left. They failed to realize his spirit was long crushed, he simply was so apathetic to the outcome of this all he didn't bother to help them or himself. They brought him outside with smirks on their faces while the whole village had gathered to see the spectacle._

_The center of the village had a large opening and in it were a half-dozen wooden stakes. The smell in the air was putrid, as if they had cooked bad meat recently. Looking at the stakes and seeing the smoke coming from them Ryker stiffened. As the approached them he felt his heart skip at the sight of charred skeletons hanging from the posts._

_His captors released him, shoving him forwards in the process. Lack of sleep and food coinciding with the beatings left his balance less than desirable and he collapsed in a heap at the base of the middle post. Standing on shaking legs, he looked up and suddenly it was like someone had muted the world. He heard nothing of the crowd or the jeering insurgents. Reaching up with a trembling hand he placed a hand on the one thing unfazed by the flames; a diamond necklace with a heart pendant made of tungsten. It was a custom piece he had requested because tungsten was strong enough to withstand the heat of explosions and it was to show his protection over the wearer._

_Clutching the necklace in his fist, he pulled it from the neck of what used to be Specialist Renee Evans and held it to his heart. They weren't happy to have just killed them; they had to demean them and deny them the rights of a proper funeral. Eyes ablaze Ryker turned and marched towards the nearest insurgent._

_The insurgent stopped laughing and began to raise his weapon. Too late. In a flash Ryker struck out with the flat of his hand, crushing the man's windpipe and grabbing the weapon from his lax grip. The man dropped to his knees and clutched his throat for only a moment before the muzzle of his own rifle was jammed into his mouth and the trigger pulled._

_Now the crowd was moving. It provided Ryker with the distraction he needed to move behind the other two that had brought him out and place a bullet in both of their backs. That wasn't enough though, not after what they had done. Grabbing their magazines he turned and opened fire into the scattering crowd. Men, women, children all fell to the dirt with sprays of crimson. All of them had to bear the burden of their collective sins._

_Dropping the magazine, Ryker reloaded and casually walked from building to building, executing entire families in a crimson haze. Within a single hour he had reduced the entire village to nothing but a bloodbath. An hour after that, he had set the village ablaze using the remaining fuel from the disabled vehicles._

_ Having relocated his gear in a nearby hut prior to setting the place ablaze, Ryker made his way west to a somewhat nearby Army Camp. He knew it would be a struggle to get there but fortunately he had packed his ruck well and it had somehow survived inside the remains of the MRAP. Around his neck he wore a second set of tags in addition to a diamond necklace with a tungsten pendant._

* * *

Saeko was shocked into silence. She had also heard about soldiers who snapped, slaughtering innocent civilians but she had always wondered if it was just media propaganda. While very much justified it still was hard for Saeko to accept Ryker having done such a thing. Not because of the moral implications but because it just seemed so incredibly out of character for him.

Ryker took her silence as acknowledgment that she could not deal with his actions and turned, dressing quickly before standing and heading for the window. "I am going to go for a short walk. It will not be far so there is nothing to fear. Stay here and when I get back, let me know if you wish to separate."

Without waiting for her answer he dropped outside leaving her alone to think in the heavy silence. _'Just because you've given up on yourself Ry-kun, don't think that I will do the same.' _Making the bed before stepping away from it, Saeko looked over at their food supply. She would make him dinner and let him know how she felt then.

* * *

Rei looked up into the sky as the sun made its daily descent. It had been another long, eventful day. People were bustling around the mansion preparing for their journey out beyond the safety of the tall walls and gates. The most intense moments of the day however had been her confrontation with that dirt bag teacher that had forced her to repeat the last year. She had almost killed him, wanted to kill him, but she knew Takashi would not support her in doing it. In the end she had let him go with nothing but a scratch on his cheek from her bayonet. Saya's father had thrown him and his groupies off their compound and left them to fend for themselves.

She had spoken with Takashi after and he had surprised her with a warm embrace and comforting words. He was looking more and more like the leader they expected of him by the day. They had until the morning to pack up and be ready to move but Rei knew that was plenty of time. They had brought nothing so had already taken what supplies Saya's mother offered and placed them in their Humvee.

Something caught her eye that seemed out of place when suddenly a blinding light lit up the sky causing her and the others to shield their eyes. Her mouth fell open as she stared up at the sky along with everyone else who had stopped what they were doing to look. Miss Shizuna nearly dropped the phone held to her ear with a broken-hearted look.

Saya gasped and looked on in horror. "Oh no…" They were in for a very long, dark, night.

Ryker stopped and stared at the sky with a frown; this was not a good turn of events. Turning back, he double-timed it back to the house he shared with Saeko. He had found a nearby gym that had a working shower in the basement and wanted to let her know when he got back. Having a nice shower was something that would definitely make her feel better.

Climbing up into the window, Ryker smiled down at Saeko who was sitting on the floor with two covered plates before her. He sat across from her and looked at the plates questioningly. She had obviously prepared something to eat and had waited for him to get back to share it. Just another reason Ryker was praying she would stay.

Passing a plate to him, Saeko smiled shyly as their fingers brushed during the transfer. _'Why does a simple touch reduce me to such bashfulness? He's seen me without a top and we almost…' _Shaking her head to clear the thoughts she met Ryker's brown eyes. "It's not much but I did what I could with what we have Ry-kun."

He smiled warmly at her and moved the top plate to see two sandwiches on his plate with typical cold cuts as well as a side of canned carrots. They were cold due to the lack of a way to heat them but the dish was well received by Ryker. "You did wonderful Saeko-chan." His look turned serious. "A few minutes ago a nuclear device was detonated in the atmosphere not too far from here." She gasped but he continued. "This means any electronic devices will be completely fried and any forms of communication we may have hoped for are out of reach now."

Saeko took a bite of her sandwich as she thought the situation over, swallowing before she spoke. "That means things are this bad all over the world then." She glanced at the lantern that still shone brightly. Battery-powered or not she figured it should have fried out too.

Noticing her confusion, Ryker spoke up. "It's military grade. It's made to resist a plethora of situations. I'm glad to see it lived up the hype." Taking a bite of the sandwich he chewed and swallowed before changing topics "Somehow you make even bland foods taste good Saeko-chan." He smiled as she blushed,

"You're just hungry Ry-kun. You did leave without eating anything today."

Ryker shrugged and continued to eat, his eyes on Saeko while she picked at her food. After he finished his plate he set it aside and moved beside Saeko, drawing a startled response. She was completely in her own little world and hadn't even heard him move until he was right beside her. "Saeko-chan…"

She interrupted him with a glance. "Ry-kun, I understand you have been through more than most people and that was before all of _this_ even happened. However you need to realize something and you better realize it quick."

He gulped, surprised by her sharp tone. "Realize what Saeko-chan?"

Leaning in suddenly, she pressed her lips to his forcefully. The action caught him so surprised that she ended up knocking him back to the floor and was now atop him. Breaking the kiss, her sapphire eyes were alight with desire but also trepidation. "That you have more than just yourself to live for. That you have someone else that couldn't stand the thought of you dying."

Looking up into her deep blue eyes Ryker was in shock. He had no doubt there were feelings between the two of them but to see her come out and throw her cards on the table so openly stunned him. "Saeko-chan…"

Saeko leaned down and pressed her forehead to his, her lips so close he could feel her breath. "Promise me Ry-kun. Promise me you will not abandon me. Promise me that you will look after yourself as much as you look after me because I'm quite positive I'd be lost without you now Ry-kun."

"I promise you Saeko-chan." He brought his arms up around her, one hand resting on the back of her right thigh and the other on the small of her back. "I will never abandon you. Neither through choice of my own nor through death will I be away from you until you say otherwise."

A small whine escaped Saeko's lips as she forced her lips onto his again, biting at his lip with her teeth and pressing her body tightly to his. She let out a quiet moan as his grip on her thigh and lower back tightened, pulling her against him. It suddenly felt as if someone had turned the heat on to an unbearable level and Saeko's breaths were more ragged pants than actual breaths. Grinding her hips against his she purred in satisfaction upon feeling his body respond to hers.

Breaking the kiss momentarily she sat back and looked down at the man beneath her who had settled his hands on her hips. She bit her bottom lip and reached down to grab the bottom of her shirt before slowly lifting it up and off, enjoying the gasp Ryker made at seeing her bare breasts on display. Leaning down just slightly she took the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, helping him remove the troublesome barrier keeping her from his skin.

Running her hands across his chest, she bit her lip to suppress a groan as his hands slid from her hips up to her ample breasts. Saeko closed both eyes and threw her head back as strong hands caressed her breasts and the pressure under her hips told her that he was enjoying himself just as much as she was. Leaning forward again, Saeko's mouth found Ryker's at the same time that his hands moved back down to her hips. In one swift movement he shifted his weight and was now the one on top, looking down into sapphire pools filled with desire.

Ryker met Saeko's lips with matching intensity; his tongue granted access without protest. Closing his eyes Ryker explored Saeko's mouth with his tongue, allowing her to do the same as he held his body weight on his left elbow and forearm beside her. He gasped, the sound muffled by her lips pressed over his, as he felt Saeko's hands unbutton his pants and work to push them down.

With his free hand Ryker pulled her shorts down and felt his already pounding heart quicken as he realized that she had nothing beneath them; she was now completely nude under him. His pants were already down and kicked off and Saeko made short work of getting his boxers down and off as well. He gasped, freezing mid-kiss as he felt her hand take gentle hold of his manhood. She purred in satisfaction at the size and was directing it between her thighs.

"Saeko-chan…" he breathed out. He had never felt so aroused in his life but he had to be sure this was truly what she wanted before he took this final step. "Are you sure?"

Panting from both desire and from the intensity of their kiss Saeko nodded her head. Her face was flushed and she was nervous but she had never been so sure of something before. "I want you Ry-kun. I need you, now."

Ryker needed no more encouragement than that. Bracing his arms to each side of her he leaned in and kissed her with a mixture of their passion and the gentleness promised to follow. As he lowered himself down he felt her hands move to his shoulders, gripping them tightly. Her grip tightened on his shoulders but her lips never left is as she moaned into his mouth.

The rest of the world had turned to chaos with an 'every man for himself' mentality that tore families and friendships apart. The rest of the world had allowed fear and selfishness to corrupt them. In an abandoned house in Japan however, two people who had been strangers just days before made love like there was no one else in the world.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_*waves away the steam* So, decent chapter I think! Bit longer than usual but a good bit was backstory on our OC again. Don't worry, that is the last of it I promise. It will continue to come into play so I wanted to get it out there. Again, I jumped back to Takashi's crew to give an idea on "what's going on with them?!" going. As you can see, the nuclear detonation has occurred. Which is basically where the anime dies._

_Fortunately for me this means I have free reign. So to answer questions that were asked a while ago/would be asked again: Yes, the group will take a more noticeable role and get much more page time. Will they meet up? Maybe :O[1] "Pile of Brass" is a pretty awesome soldier prayer. Thought I'd share it and I liked it for the scene to be running through Ryker's head. Please review if you liked it or even if you didn't like it but somehow stuck it out! Let me know what I'm doing right/wrong! All reviews are appreciated._

_Some comment responses:_

_**SteezAwesomeness **__Thank you! I really enjoy writing this. I know it's not constant zombie-smashing but there are many zombies yet to be smashed I assure!_

_**Texas Red141**__ I am glad I kept you interested! Saeko is a hard write, I admit. She's a rollercoaster of personalities. From what I saw though she only really acted "dark" when the violence came out. Don't fret, MUCH more Saeko violence coming later on. Just wait for the big move!_

_**PandaTrueno86**__ I really enjoyed adding it in. It helped me feel the chapter a lot easier and hopefully others find it the same. And I will! Less than a month to go here!_

_**Loki'sBird**__ Thanks! Writing a fight scene is a lot harder than people assume. Trying to avoid over usage of words or actions, maintaining SOME form of grammar and of course keeping it interesting. Hopefully you keep reading with me!_

_[1] "Pile of Brass" is a pretty awesome soldier prayer. Thought I'd share it and I liked it for the scene to be running through Ryker's head._


	9. Lost and Found

**Chapter 8**

**Lost and Found**

Fires raged behind them as they flew down the road in the armored Humvee; the screams of the living mercifully overwhelmed by the powerful engine. Miss Shizuka was behind the wheel again and was white-knuckling the leather as she took turns on two wheels. Saya was in the passenger seat screaming out directions at the panicked blonde and the rest were crammed in the backseat.

Several hour-like minutes later they were pulled into an underground parking garage with the engine off. Miss Shizuka looked back and made sure everyone was alright before breathing a loud sigh of relief. She was certainly not built for such stress.

While the others investigated the moderately sized garage, likely capable of holding twenty or so vehicles, Takashi was working on manually closing the front shutter. Hirano, closely followed by a magazine toting Alice, inspected each vehicle and checked the doors to ensure they were not cornered. Two of the three doors were locked but the final one opened to a staircase leading up to the surface.

A hand on his shoulder startled Takashi but as his eyes met the owner a smile formed easily. "Rei, shouldn't you be back with Saya and Miss Shizuka?"

Crossing her arms under her breasts, Rei blew a stray hair from her face. "You were taking too long so I figured you needed help. Besides, Saya hasn't spoken since we got here and Miss Shizuka is already snoring."

Takashi smirked and shook his head. _'Same old Rei.'_ He pointed to a chain hanging on the other side of the doorway. "Pull on that when I say to, okay? We need to time it right or it will come down way too hard and likely come off the track. Then we'd be stuck in here short of driving through it and making enough noise to alert the city."

"Okay!" She moved to the other side and waited for his nod before giving a hard yank on the chain. The door jumped but Takashi's weight acted as a counterbalance and the large metal shutter descended slowly. She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling in the process. "Good work Takashi. Now we don't have to worry about _them_ getting in at least."

Nodding, Takashi made his way back to the Humvee. It was after dark and they had been up since early morning; he was exhausted. Hirano was sitting atop the vehicle, polishing his trusty rifle.

"Hey Takashi. You should get some sleep, I'll take first watch tonight."

Smiling wearily at his friend, Takashi simply nodded. Getting into the Humvee he noticed Alice was already asleep in the back compartment with her dog and Saya had dozed off in the front seat. Before long his eyelids were too heavy to fight against and sleep overtook him. His last thoughts were of how he was going to convince the others to search for Saeko.

* * *

Saeko's eyes fluttered open and a smile immediately materialized as she caressed the bare chest of the man beside her. Words could not describe the incredible feelings he had achieved in giving her and simply the thoughts of the night prior were making her body heat up.

Nuzzling into his chest, her smile widened as she felt a hand gently caressing her lower back. His touch sent shivers throughout her body as his fingers traced her spine and his whisper broke the silence.

"Good morning Saeko-chan."

She leaned back to meet his gaze. "Good morning Ry-kun." She blushed as his eyes wandered down to her bare chest. Despite being intimate just the night before, she was still embarrassed to have his eyes on her. A giggle escaped her lips. "You know in Japan it might be considered impolite to stare so."

"My apologies Saeko-chan but with a woman as gorgeous as you I find I am unable to help myself." He smirked as she suddenly let out a yelp; his hand had taken firm hold of her bare bottom.

The blush now in full effect, Saeko closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. No matter how many times she kissed him the simple contact of their lips meeting sent electricity coursing through her entire body. It was as though his body exuded some kind of narcotic and she was terribly hooked.

Before he could wrap his arms around her to hold her in place she ended the kiss. Both were already breathing heavily and a light sweat glistened on their bare bodies despite the slightly chilled air. As if playing off her thoughts, he spoke breathlessly. "I don't think there are enough hours in the day to enjoy kissing you Saeko-chan. I could hold you forever and it would feel too short a time."

Sapphire eyes sparkled playfully as her lips brushed his before pulling back again. "Eternity is a long time Ry-kun. Maybe you would bore of kissing me after a while."

Ryker leaned up to engage the kiss stolen but was rebuffed again as Saeko pulled back further with a grin. He smirked as he recognized her game. "Oh I don't know. And even if that were possible," He redirected his effort and managed to brush his lips across her right nipple as he exhaled. "I am sure we could think of other things to pass the time."

She bit her lip and struggled to suppress the moan at his contact. Ryker was incredibly talented at finding out what she liked in quick fashion; he had displayed that last night. She had thought that her will-power would have been stronger after the first time they made love. But his roaming lips had proved otherwise causing her to give herself over again and again.

"Besides," he added in a whisper as he placed kisses starting between her breasts and working his way up her neck causing her to gasp sharply. "there is just so much of you to kiss."

Leaning down, her lips met his again, teeth grazing them before her tongue found its way into his mouth. The simple taste of him was intoxicating and she could feel his body responding to her aggressive behavior. As her nails grazed his chest in their descent she felt his breath catch, causing a devilish smile to form on her lips.

Saeko abruptly ended the kiss before standing and turning away from Ryker. She looked over her shoulder, pleased to see his gaze had not made it higher than her hips. "You know Ry-kun; if we keep this up we'll never get out of here." With that she teasingly sashayed her way across the room to look over the possible breakfast choices on the table. Her modesty had vanished completely in her playful mood.

Before she could ponder further, a hand snaked around her waist and lips pressed against her neck; a low moan escaping her at the contact. Ryker had gotten up and crossed the distance in silence to catch her off-guard with his touch. As his left hand traveled up her stomach and gently grasped the nearside breast, she bit her lip and arched her back into him.

A soft whisper tickled her ear. "Then I suppose we should get moving." With that, he stepped away from her and began dressing. She stood there for a moment, heart pounding, before taking a few calming breaths and setting aside something simple for breakfast.

She would get dressed and eat with him before she discussed her ideas for the day. It had been four days since she had split from Takashi and the others and she was curious as to their well-being. She knew very little of Saya but from what she did know the girl was not exactly a pauper. Saeko figured if they could make a trip up towards the higher end of the city, the large estates, she could possibly find out some information. After all, they had all started to become friends; they would be worried about her too, right?

* * *

Zeke's barking woke Alice from a strange dream involving giant strawberries chasing her through a maze. Shaking the strange thoughts from her head, the young girl rubbed the neck of the small dog beside her. She had become very attached to the small dog and was thankful to have him for company. While the others were not quite adults, they were still significantly older and didn't relate to her as much as she wished they would.

Seeing that Zeke was antsy, Alice clambered out of the Humvee and landed silently before looking around. Everyone was asleep and the parking lot was near pitch-black; the only light came from some red emergency lights located at the base of the doors and above the shuttered door. Kohta, the one who was supposed to be on guard, had dozed off atop the Humvee.

Alice rubbed her eyes and made her way to the only unlocked door with Zeke following closely behind. Kohta had locked it from the inside earlier but as soon as Alice turned the knob the button sprang free and allowed the door to slide open. As soon as the smell of fresh air hit his lungs, Zeke bounded up the stairs and over to a nearby tree to relieve himself. Looking away, Alice took the nearby area in as the sun slowly crested the horizon and gave it a peaceful glow.

It was a nice neighborhood despite the chaotic situation of the city. Large buildings with decent sized lawns lined the road and a parking garage to store additional vehicles sat on the opposing corners. It was distinctly nicer here than some of the neighborhoods they had run through since the epidemic began. Not that it mattered now; the once beautiful houses had smashed windows and many were burned out.

Seeing that Zeke had finished his business, Alice scratched behind his ears and turned back towards the stairway leading back to the garage housing the Humvee. As she began descending the steps, Zeke suddenly bolted back up them and down the street.

"Zeke!" Alice looked at the door as if pondering her options before running after the small dog. He was her best friend; she simply could not allow him to get lost by himself.

* * *

Saya groaned and adjusted the glasses that were still resting on her face. She felt miserable; the front of a Humvee was not at all a comfortable place to sleep. As she looked around she noticed she was the only one awake. Growling in frustration she climbed out and closed the door behind her.

Miss Shizuka was still in the driver's seat and had managed to use her oversized cleavage as a pillow against the steering wheel. Takashi was sprawled across the backseat and, of course, Rei was all over him. Saya bit her cheek and continued her examination of the vehicle. Kohta was asleep on top of the Humvee with an arm draped down over the side. _'That fat lazy moron couldn't even stay awake!'_ she thought in annoyance.

As she circled the vehicle her breath caught in her throat. The back hatch was opened and both Alice and Zeke were nowhere to be found. "Alice?" She whispered harshly. _'She wouldn't go outside without telling one of us, would she?'_ Saya's heart was pounding in her chest as she ran around the dark garage. A crack in the ground seemed to raise up to meet her foot sending her sprawling to the ground gracelessly.

Picking herself up with a grumble, Saya winced at the fresh cut above her eye as she adjusted her somehow still present glasses. "Alice?!" She outright yelled this time. The girl was nowhere to be found inside and worry was beginning to build in the pink-haired genius.

"Taka… I mean, Saya are you okay?" Takashi asked as he stepped out of the Humvee. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes but could barely see in the dimly lit garage. "What's wrong?"

With a sigh of frustration, Saya threw an angry finger in Kohta's direction. "Your idiotic fat friend fell asleep and now Alice-chan and Zeke are missing!"

Kohta scrambled down from the Humvee. "I didn't mean to fall asleep! But I checked all the doors and the only way in was locked from our side. There was no danger I swear!"

Rei leaned out of the vehicle, her hair a complete disaster. "What's going on? Where's Alice-chan?"

"She went missing while fatso was sleeping on the job!" Saya's anger was at a boiling point. The fact she had been forced to leave her parents behind at the estate was still fresh in her mind and making her emotions unstable. Before anyone could respond she turned and ran out the door leading outside.

"Takashi-" Rei started.

Looking at her he nodded and the group ran after the distraught pink-haired girl. _'So much for looking for Saeko-chan today.'_ Takashi thought glumly. He knew she was okay; she just had to be.

Miss Shizuka looked around in confusion, blinking a few times to clear away the sleep that hovered around her. "Where did everyone go?" With a shrug she returned her head to her oversized chest and dozed off quietly.

* * *

The sun was now above the horizon and cast long shadows across the ground as it made its way towards its peak. The city was nearly silent as the majority of the populace had already fled or fallen victim to the strange pandemic. Fires continued to burn on a near endless supply of fuel in many areas while others had entirely burned out; husks of buildings all that remained.

Saeko leaned into Ryker as they walked down the streets in silence. She her right arm wrapped around his left with her fingers entwined with his. She wore a simple pair of black shorts and a gray t-shirt; her lack of lingerie something she intended to remedy as soon as she met up with the others. Ryker wore a simple pair of light blue jeans and a black t-shirt. To an outside perspective they would look no different than a young couple on their way to dinner and a show. Saeko, admittedly, found her mind wandering to such thoughts.

What would it be like if there was no pandemic? Would she have still met this wonderful man who was so accepting of her darkness while having a darkness of his own to battle? What was going to happen to them? As the thoughts whirred past, she let out an audible sigh catching Ryker's attention.

"Everything alright Saeko-chan?"

His voice was gentle, caring. It made her entire body warm at the simple comment and she struggled to fight back the girlish emotions. _'I've got to stop acting like a child with a crush!'_ After reprimanding herself she looked up to see his soft brown eyes studying her face as they walked.

"I'm fine Ry-kun. Just thinking about what's next."

Ryker smiled; content with the answer. "Well you mentioned you have friends who you were separated from. We'll find them and go from there." He adjusted the black backpack he wore with his free hand. Rather than grabbing everything he had simply packed necessities and figured they could always return if needed.

Saeko smiled up at him before returning her focus to the street ahead. It was amazing how willing he was to help her find Takashi and the others. She had not even had to explain more than saying she had been separated from her friends before he interrupted her and asked if she wanted to find them.

The distinct sound of a dog barking caused them both to freeze. Ryker froze due to the nature of noise attracting _them_. Saeko on the other hand recognized, or at least thought she did, the sound of the bark. "Zeke?"

Ignoring the confused look Ryker gave her, Saeko took off towards the sound. Rather than question her actions Ryker simply followed behind the streaming purple hair; his hand resting on the M9 holstered on his belt.

As they rounded the corner, Saeko skidded to a stop causing Ryker to nearly collide with her. Up in a tree, hanging on for dear life to a small branch, was Alice. Zeke was at the base barking and growling at a group of _them_ who had the poor girl trapped. Before either could act, a female scream tore through the morning air from across the road in a dark alley.

Saeko saw Ryker's eyes narrow and decided this was not something she could argue about. "I'll take care of these ones. You go check out the alley!" As he turned to run, she grabbed his arm roughly; her eyes burning into him. "And you be careful Ryker Belmont. If there's too many, you come back here. Understood?"

Offering a bright smile, Ryker nodded. "You have my word Saeko-chan." As he turned and sprinted towards the alley Saeko drew her katana and approached the small horde trapping her young friend. "Time to make a mess."

* * *

Saya stumbled back and fell on her bottom from a sense-rattling slap delivered by the man before her. His fire red hair matched the glint in his dark eyes as he looked down at her. She knew her scream might attract _them_ but at this point she would actually welcome the sight. Her cheek was already swelling from the blow and a trickle of blood ran down her chin from the cut it had produced.

"Get away from me you filthy mongrel!"

A lecherous smile formed on the man's lips as he continued to close the distance. "Don't worry little girl. I promise to take _good_ care of you."

He stopped cold when a black, gloved hand came to rest on his shoulder. In a panic he spun expecting to see one of _them_ but instead was met with a similarly gloved fist crashing into his face. Stumbling back, he knocked a trash can over before regaining his balance from the blow. "What the fu-" Another sharp strike connected squarely, effectively silencing the red-headed man who slumped to the ground.

"Why is it so hard for people to understand 'no' means no?" The man looked down at Saya who flinched away from the hand he offered her. "It's okay now miss. My name is Ryker and I'm here to help you."

Saya looked from the crumpled man to Ryker before hesitantly taking the offered hand. She let out a squeal when he suddenly pulled her up to her feet but quickly regained her composure. Squinting at him, she could barely make out his features but he was definitely not Japanese. _'Where are my damn glasses?' _She let out a frustrated sigh that had the man in front of her rub the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you okay miss?"

She bit back a rude comment. After all, this stranger had just intervened on her behalf without any hesitation. Instead, she smiled politely. "I am. Thank you." She looked around, squinting in attempt to find her elusive glasses.

Seeing her struggle to see, Ryker crouched down and picked up the rogue glasses. "Here." He held the glasses out to the pink haired girl who gratefully accepted them. "Now if you'd not mind, stay close to me. There's a bunch of _them_ out here and your scream may have attracted more." She opened her mouth in response but he quickly added. "Not that I blame you. I'd rather deal with the undead."

With that said, Ryker ran back out towards the road where Saeko was still fighting off the group surrounding the tree. _'Where were all these adorable Japanese girls when I was working at the clinic?'_

Saya followed closely behind, unwilling to be left alone with so many of _them_ wandering around. When she got to the street she gasped; Saeko and the man, Ryker, were battling a small group of _them_ while Alice was up in the tree. It was almost too good to be true.

After a few minutes of blood-spraying violence the only movement near the tree was of the living. Saeko looked up with a wide smile. "Alice-chan."

Jumping down from the tree, the young girl wrapped both arms around Saeko's waist. "Saeko-san! I knew you were okay!"

As she approached the group Saya realized Saeko was wearing rather odd attire. The gray shirt had the letters 'ARMY' across her breasts in a darker gray. _'What a strange brand name.' _Stopping beside the indigo-haired girl, she offered a small smile. "I am glad to see you are alright Saeko-san. We've been worried about you. We weren't sure if you would be okay on your own."

Saeko blushed and shifted her gaze over to Ryker. "I wasn't." She answered with surprising honesty. "I was on the cusp of death before Ry-kun here rescued me."

Shifting her gaze to the now blushing male, Saya crossed her arms under her breasts. He was certainly attractive and he was obviously American. How he spoke Japanese so well was surprising to her; his accent was thick enough to discredit any thought of him being born here. "Do you make a habit of finding girls in distress to help?"

Though her question was innocent, Ryker felt a bit threatened by it. _'This girl is a lot of hostility wrapped in a small frame. Note to self: Do not anger her.' _He offered a warm smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't sit idly by when someone is in danger. Even in such a broken world. I feel that to give up entirely on others would make me no better than those things we fight."

Saya stared at him for a moment while she gauged his answer, amused at his discomfort under her gaze. "You're not like most people."

Hoisting Alice into her arms, Saeko grinned. "No, he certainly isn't."

Turning to Alice and missing Ryker's sudden blush, Saya scowled at the young girl. "Do you know how worried I was?! I ran all the way out here by myself to find out!"

Alice buried her face in Saeko's shoulder. "I'm sorry! Zeke ran away and I followed him and I got lost!"

With a sigh, Saya stroked the small girl's short hair. "It's okay Alice-chan. You just worried us. I'm sure the rest will catch up soon if they followed me."

"So I'm guessing you are Saya Takagi?" Ryker was leaning against the tree now.

Nodding, she adjusted her glasses. "I am. Since you saved me you may call me by my first name."

Ryker smiled and pushed off the tree to stand directly across from the younger girl causing her to blush at his sudden proximity. "It is very nice to meet you Saya-chan." He bowed his head as he spoke and, to Saeko's amusement, went too low again.

_'He'll never figure out how far to bow I don't think.' _she thought to herself with a smile. A smile that faltered at seeing Saya's blushing face.

Saya averted her eyes as the blush refused to go down. "You too Ryker-san."

Seeing that Ryker was about to speak and assuming it would be to change the honorific, Saeko cleared her throat loudly. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a blank stare that said nothing and everything. _'Let's go.'_ Being the most clear of it.

Alice jumped down from Saeko's arms and approached Ryker, looking him over for a minute before smiling and speaking in English, rather than Japanese. "**Nice to meet you Mister Ryker!"**

Ryker blinked in surprise before smiling down at the small girl. "**You speak English very well." **He crouched down to be on her level. **"I am very glad to meet you as well Miss Alice."**

She giggled and picked up Zeke, hugging him tightly. **"This is Zeke. He's been my best friend for this adventure."**

Smiling and reaching out, allowing the small dog to sniff his hand before petting it, Ryker nodded. **"He looks to be brave. I saw him defending you before Saeko and I arrived. Now let's get going and regroup with your other friends okay?"**

As she nodded, Saya and Saeko shared a confused look. Neither had known Alice was fluent in English and since they spoke none of it, the whole conversation was gibberish to them. When they saw the exchange had ended, the group made their way back towards the garage where they had spent the night.

When they turned the final corner, Takashi waved at them; his eyes wide at the sight of Saeko. _'She's okay after all…'_ With a smile, he jogged over to the other group before finally noticing the man standing between Saya and Saeko. Before he could speak, the man bowed his head in introduction.

"You must be Takashi. I've heard much about you." He offered a friendly smile before dipping his head just slightly. "My name is Ryker Belmont; it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Surprised by the formal greeting from the foreigner, Takashi nodded quickly. "It is nice to meet you as well Ryker-san." He looked from Saya to Saeko who nodded. "Please come with us, we have shelter and food. I'm sure everyone must be hungry by now."

Rei eyed the newcomer for a moment before following Takashi. She wasn't willing to trust someone so quickly and wanted to speak with the other girls alone first. The fact that he had arrived with Saeko likely meant they had been paired up for at least some of the time since the group separated from the samurai. Saya's close proximity to the man however she could not account for yet. Saya disliked almost everyone.

Her willingness to stand beside the stranger rather than quickly approach the others did not go unnoticed by Kohta either. He sighed dejectedly before his eyes fell on Saeko's chest. Well, rather the wording across it. Kohta's eyes went wide and his initial dislike for the stranger vaporized on the chance he was dealing with a real soldier. _'Finally,'_ he thought to himself as they made their way back to the garage. _'I might have someone who will understand what I'm talking about!'_

As they filed into the garage they had to stop for a few minutes to allow their eyes to adjust to the darkness. Miss Shizuka ran over and immediately smashed Alice into her breasts, squeezing the poor girl in a vice-like grip. "Oh Alice-chan! When I woke up and everyone was gone I was so worried!"

Saya rolled her eyes and rescued the poor girl from being smothered. "If you weren't such a heavy sleeper you could have come along you know."

Ignoring the ever-cranky pink-haired girl, Miss Shizuka smiled warmly at seeing Saeko. "Welcome back Saeko-chan! We were very worried about you." She stopped and looked at the stranger who had accompanied the group. "Oh my, I see we have a new guest!"

Ryker looked at Saeko uncomfortably; his thoughts easily read in his eyes. _'She's a complete loon.'_ He put on his best smile however and bowed his head. "I am Ryker Belmont, it is a pleasure to meet you."

With a finger to the side of her mouth, she cocked her head to the side. "You're American but your Japanese is pretty good." She smiled and clasped her hands behind her back inadvertently, he hoped, giving an extremely good view of her shirt-stretching cleavage. "I am Shizuka Marikawa. I am," she thought for a moment. "was a school nurse."

Smiling widely, Ryker nodded. "Saeko-chan told me all about you Marikawa-san. I am no nurse but when I was in the military I was a medic." He shifted the bag on his shoulders. "I have some medical supplies if you'd like to go through them with me later. I'd be happy to give you whatever you need."

Kohta couldn't wait another moment and nearly exploded in introduction. "Hello Ryker-san! I am Kohta Hirano! You can call me Kohta! So you were a soldier?"

Ryker was taken aback by the sudden burst of energy in the otherwise quiet room and before he could answer a swipe from Saya to Kohta's shoulder stopped him.

"Idiot! We just got back from being attacked by a group of _them_! Maybe we want to sit down and eat something? I doubt Ryker-san wants to answer a million moronic gun-nut questions from some fat _otaku_!"

Ryker flinched in unison with Kohta. It seemed the young girl's anger was not exaggerated by Saeko in the least. Smiling apologetically at Kohta, Ryker nodded and turned to Saeko. "I told you we'd find them in no time."

Rolling her eyes, Saeko couldn't suppress the smile that formed. "Dumb luck is all. Now let's go sit down and eat. Breakfast was good but I'm hungry again."

As they walked towards the Humvee where Miss Shizuka was already pulling out food supplies, Rei approached Saeko. "Saeko-san."

Pleased at being called by her first name, despite the honorific, Saeko smiled at the brunette. "Yes Rei?"

Taking hold of the indigo-haired girl's arm, Rei directed her off to the side where Saya was already sitting. "We need to talk about your new friend. We're a bit curious as to what his deal is and where he's from."

Looking back at Ryker, Saeko gave a helpless smile and shrugged before sitting with the two other girls. Takashi saw this and nudged Ryker's shoulder. "Come sit over here. Let the girls have their girl talk. We'll have our own."

When everyone was seated in their two separate groups, Miss Shizuna handed out sandwiches to everyone before sitting down with the other girls. Alice decided to sit with the boys with Zeke, listening intently while they spoke of life before all of the craziness.

It was a nice relaxing lunch of reminiscing. Sometimes people just needed to unwind and in situations as stressful as an apocalypse, what better time to do so?

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_So not the most exciting chapter after such a LONG delay(minus the 'teaser'). I'm sorry for that. Lot of Army stuff holding me back but in SEVEN! Count them SEVEN! Days I should be free of Afghanistan. Next week will be incredibly busy with work but I promise I will try and get out one more chapter. After Sunday of next week I will be without internet until I get home. This could be a week… or a month. No idea yet. So please, stay tuned! Read and review and I will pump out another chapter even faster I promise! I WILL be writing in my time off-line but I will only post 1 chapter at a time… if I have time to write enough to do that._

_I hope everyone liked the meeting despite the rushed feeling. It was a hard write… four writing sessions to get this one out. Just could NOT get a grip on where I was going. I had the ideas but the filler words would not come. Not terribly happy with how this one came out. Too much dialogue in my eyes but… so much to have done. Next chapter will be a fair bit of dialogue but I have some crazy action planned I promise._

_So please, thoughts, opinions, critiques, hate mail… anything! Review or just PM me! I have a LOT of plans for the next few chapters but if people are like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I will happily alter them lol._


	10. Splitting Up

**Chapter 9**

**Splitting Up**

After they had all finished lunch, Ryker offered to dispose of the trash. It was both a gesture of appreciation for sharing in their food and an excuse to get away for a few minutes. Takashi's questions had been simple and innocent enough. He had asked about when and why Ryker had come to Japan as well as what he had done while staying here. Kohta had, unsurprisingly, asked him about his military career and weapon proficiencies. When Ryker showed him his simple M9 the gun-nut's eyes sparkled. Not that an M9 was a miraculous weapon of great rarity but the knowledge that it was an American military model that had actually seen use. Ryker however, refused to divulge in how he had maintained the sidearm.

Ryker had briefly explained finding Saeko and rescuing her but kept it simply at that; he was a private person and didn't feel the others needed to know their relation- _'Relationship? Is that what we're in? I mean I certainly am enamored by the girl and she is at the very least attracted to me. What is it though? Maybe it's just some kind of White Knight Syndrome.' _He sighed as he finished bagging up the trash and made his way for the door. _'I wish things weren't so confusing.'_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a female clearing her throat. As he turned around he was surprised to see the pink-haired girl, Saya, standing behind him with a small bag of her own. Offering her a warm smile, he opened the door and held it for her as she passed through. Ryker quickly averted his eyes when they got to the stairs at the sight revealed by the short skirt she wore but not before noticing the silver and white stripes beneath.

When they had thrown out the garbage in a nearby dumpster, Saya stopped and looked away while tugging idly at the wrist cuff of her shirt. Ryker noticed this and stopped as well; he figured she had something to say or she'd have just given him the bag back in the garage.

"About before…" She started quietly.

Ryker smiled and crossed his arms casually. "It was no problem at all Saya-chan. No one should attack a girl; nightmare world or not."

Feeling her face heat up, Saya shook her head. "Not that. About what you said. That you felt that doing nothing was just as bad as being one of those _things_ out there." She looked up and met his eyes, her orange eyes glistening with restrained tears.

Stepping close but stopping himself from embracing the girl, Ryker shook his head slowly. "I heard that you had to leave your parents behind Saya-chan and I understand how difficult that must be. However you did not do nothing in this instance. Your parents acted to protect you and you, from what I hear, have been instrumental to the survival of Takashi and the others." As she sniffled he brushed a tear from her cheek. "You have been incredibly brave and have done more than most. Sometimes actions take form other than physically helping someone."

Saya stared at him for a moment before looking away again; a blush present on her cheeks from his bold gesture. "And people think I'm the genius."

Ryker laughed softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "From what I hear Saya-chan, you are. Now let's get back before the others worry."

With a simple nod, she followed him back to the garage. Upon entering she immediately went to the Humvee and sat in the front, alone, to think things over. So much was happening and she needed some time to go over what their next move would be. With Ryker here they had another strong fighter, at least according to Saeko. And coming from Saeko that carried a lot of weight.

The question was: Was he going to stay with them? Logically a larger group, to an extent, was safer. As long as they could maintain supplies it was a great idea and the others seemed to get along with him without a problem. Rei was the only one who had not had one-on-one time with him and honestly, Saya didn't care what Rei thought. The girl was so self-involved it would be impossible to use her considerations.

A knock on the window startled her, causing her glasses to fall into her lap. Her glare immediately withered when she saw Ryker was the intruder. As she opened the window she tilted her head to the side. "Yes Ryker-san?"

"Your cut. If we don't do something about it, it could get infected."

Putting a hand to her cheek, Saya frowned. It was a small cut and the thought of him touching her face again made her stomach flip. _'Stop being weird!' _She chided herself. Seeing that he had not budged during her contemplation she let out a sigh. "Fine but be quick about it."

Ryker smiled and produced a small pouch that he set beside her on the seat. He pulled out a red packet, similar to a wet-nap, and a band-aid. When he tore open the small packet, the smell of ethanol stung Saya's nose. "This will sting but only a little. It will disinfect the area." He looked hesitant. "Okay?"

She frowned and nodded, jumping with a squeal when the alcohol touched the open wound. "That is not a little!"

Unable to hide the smirk, Ryker shook his head. "Sorry. But if I had said 'this is going to hurt a lot' would you have let me do it?" Seeing her glare as an answer, he finished wiping the area before placing the simple band-aid over the cut. "I don't have any of my antibiotics with me so just keep the area clean."

Saya nodded, a blush working its way into her cheeks as he continued to survey her face for any other injuries. "Yes, yes. I'm fine. Now shoo. I have thinking to do and I can't do it while you're bothering me."

Bowing his head with a smile, Ryker made his way back behind the Humvee to allow the flustered girl to think in peace. _'She is certainly strange.'_ His thoughts quickly changed course when a pair of steely-blue eyes met his. "Oh uh… Hey Saeko-chan."

She looked past him at the girl settled in the front of the Humvee before returning her gaze to his. "Everything alright?"

Ryker nodded as he put the pouch he had used back in the bag on the ground beside him. "I was just making sure Saya-chan was fine. It seems your friends here have plans to find their families." He looked up at her. "I think we should help them."

Seeing Rei sitting by herself a short distance away she raised an eyebrow to Ryker and ignored his comment. "Miyamoto looks to be lonely. Maybe you should go check up on her next." She turned and walked away, leaving Ryker standing there hopelessly confused.

"What was that all about?" Kohta had walked over and was stretching; an after lunch nap having just ended.

Shrugging, Ryker let out a sigh. "I have no idea."

Alice just giggled and shook her head from atop the Humvee.

* * *

When Ryker walked off to speak with Takashi about the group's plans, Kohta nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his arm. When he spun around he saw Rei standing there and immediately relaxed. "Jeez Rei-san. You scared me!"

Rei scowled. "For being such a tough guy with a gun you sure are a scaredy-cat." Ignoring his response, she gestured towards Ryker who was engaged in conversation with Takashi. "So what do you think of our guest Kohta?"

Surprised by her use of his first name, Kohta took a moment to respond but his eyes were nearly star-like in appearance. "He's a real hero! An American soldier who fought in Afghanistan not once but twice and has already saved both Saeko-san and Saya-san from danger!" He gestured to the bag behind the Humvee. "He's also proficient in medical skills and his knowledge of weaponry is actually on par with mine!"

"Are you like, going to ask him out or something?"

Kohta blanched. "No, no! I am just glad to finally have another person present who I can talk to and won't think I'm a weirdo."

Rei crossed her arms and tilter her head, watching Takashi as he interacted with the American stranger. "Well his record is impressive and Saeko-san mentioned he is as lethal in combat as she is. Not to mention he's a gentleman and fairly intelligent."

"I think he could really help us if he stays. It'd be nice not to be the only one who knows how to use a gun."

She nodded. "I just want to find my family. If he will contribute to that I am more than willing to let him stay. Besides," a sideways glance saw Saeko was sitting by the exit, sharpening her sword. "it keeps Saeko-san away from Takashi."

Kohta looked from Saeko, to Rei, to Takashi and smiled in understanding. "We'll find your families Rei. You and Takashi."

Offering a smile before heading over to the two men talking, Rei winked at Kohta. "You're alright Kohta. For an otaku."

Her giggle as she walked away made Kohta feel less insulted by her comment but he still wished they saw him as more than that. "Well, I better get to work loading magazines." He looked up and saw Alice watching from the top of the Humvee. "Want to help me Alice-chan?"

With a wide smile accompanied by Zeke's bark, the young girl jumped down. "Of course Kohta-san! Let's go Zeke!"

Looking over as Rei approached, Takashi smiled and halted his and Ryker's conversation. "Hey Rei. Ryker-san and I were just talking about you."

"A… about me?" She looked from Ryker to Takashi in confusion.

Takashi nodded but Ryker was the one to speak. "When Takashi told me during lunch that you both wanted to find your families I offered to help."

"And with our numbers where they are, I figure we could split up and go to both places at once." Takashi finished.

Rei's eyes widened. This was better news than she had hoped for. "How would we split up?"

Takashi ran a hand through his hair. "That's the thing we're discussing. My concern is that I don't think either of us should be the one to enter our own homes." He averted his eyes. "Just in case."

She swallowed hard at his statement and nodded. "I… I guess that makes sense." She was not a fan of being apart from Takashi but she was not sure she could witness her own mother or father being one of _them_.

Ryker leaned against the wall behind him with a sigh. He knew this was going to complicate things but there was no circumventing it. "There's only one way to do this then."

* * *

After dinner, everyone sat around in a half-circle while Takashi stood before them with his arms folded across his chest. To Takashi's right sat Rei, then Saya, Saeko, Miss Shizuka, Alice, Kohta and finally Ryker at his left. "As you all know, Rei and I have not given up hope on finding our parents. We've been kept busy with numerous sidetracking events but now that we're settled down it's time to act. The longer we wait the slimmer our chances become at reuniting with our families." He looked over to Ryker who was on one knee beside him. "We were very fortunate that not only Saeko-san returned but she brought with her someone who is able and very willing to help us in this endeavor."

Ryker rubbed his neck as attention focused on him. Warm greetings or not he was still uncomfortable with the amount of attention he received. _'I guess it's understandable. I'm some new add-on to the team and I'm not even from this country.'_

Takashi continued. "Because of this we have enough people to split into two groups and get to both of our families at the same time. With Ryker-san's help I was able to pick out the two groups. We'll be splitting up based on our strengths and also to avoid the possibility of having to deal with our own families if they have turned."

Everyone nodded; it seemed like the most logical course of action. Their universal question was suddenly blurted out by the youngest of the group. "So what are the teams?"

Smiling at Alice, Takashi nodded. "I don't like splitting up but with the teams we discussed I feel our chances of success are very high. Ryker-san will go with Saya, Rei, and Alice-chan. I will be going with Miss Shizuna, Hirano and Saeko."

At hearing her name, the dark-hair girl stiffened. She did not look to spend time away from Ryker already let alone on such a dangerous mission. "Takashi…"

When Takashi looked over and saw her disappointment he got the feeling there was more to her and Ryker than she let on. "The teams were split this way to maximize our fighting strength on each side. Miss Shizuna and Ryker-san are the only ones with medical knowledge and Ryker-san has firearm knowledge similar to Kohta. Rei and him are both great fighters as well so they can protect Saya and Alice-chan." He gestured at Saeko. "You are our best martial fighter and I will hold my own as well. This way we have the best chance of getting our families and getting back safely."

Saeko grit her teeth but remained silent. Not only was she being split from Ryker but he was traveling with both Rei AND Saya! The situation was made worse by the fact that Ryker was giving her an apologetic look, as if he understood her frustration.

Scanning everyone for their reactions, Takashi nodded in satisfaction. "Good, I see there are no objections. I suggest everyone tries to get some sleep tonight. We leave at dawn."

As everyone made their way to the Humvee, Ryker stopped Saeko with a hand on her arm. "Saeko-chan…"

Turning to face him, the indigo-haired girl struggled to keep her emotions in check. It was unlike her to have such difficulty in controlling her emotions but lately everything was changing. "Ry-kun, I don't want to lose you!"

Ryker's eyes widened at her outburst. "Saeko-chan, you will not lose me. I promised you I would never leave, remember? This is the best thing for the whole group and the sooner we succeed the sooner we all get back together. "

She sighed and looked away in frustration. "How can you be so calm and sure all the time? What if something goes wrong? What if-"

Her question was silenced by his lips meeting hers for the briefest of moments. "Saeko-chan. Nothing will go wrong. Have faith." He smiled and after a moment she was unable to resist smiling herself.

"I don't know how you do it Ry-kun but you always find a way to make things seem better than they are." She hugged him tightly before stepping away. "You had better come back." With that said, she turned and walked back towards Miss Shizuka; the need for some new clothes finally winning her over.

A few hours later, Ryker woke up and relieved a tired-looking Rei who offered him a weak smile before crawling into the Humvee to sleep. Rather than sit atop the Humvee, he made his way over to the door and stepped outside for some fresh air. This was the only viable entrance so there was no need to remain in the enclosed garage.

Walking up the steps, Ryker sat half-way on the concrete wall beside the stairs, one foot still on the ground. "At least the moon is out tonight." He said to no one in particular as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one and taking a deep drag he exhaled with a sigh. He hated smoking; after all it was what killed his father. Sometimes though he just wanted to remember that taste of menthol that he had only ever gotten second-hand from _her_.

As he took a second drag he hopped down from the wall and slowly scouted out the surrounding area. The buildings were completely abandoned and in no shape to house anyone now. The fires had destroyed most of the infrastructure and the rains had handled the rest.

Ryker sat back on the corner of the wall he had perched on and let out another sigh. This was not what he had hoped for when he decided to move to Japan. He didn't expect an easy transition from America to Japan but over the months he had grown quite fond of the place. Japan had been an interest to him for years; during his first deployment he had begun self-teaching himself the language simply through watching various anime and listening to the music while using language software.

It was a slow process but over time he figured out the subtle nuances and with the help of pen-pals and eventually college, he was comfortable moving to the country. Everything he learned helped but nothing could match up to how useful it was speaking to people on a daily basis in a learned language. Most were forgiving of his mistakes and were willing to correct him without being rude or condescending. His willingness to learn and enthusiasm garnered a lot of respect from those he worked with.

As he finished the cigarette, he rubbed it against the concrete and nearly flicked it away before stopping. _'The world is enough of a mess without me adding to it.'_ With that thought he tucked the butt into his jean pocket.

"I was going to scold you for smoking but the fact you refused to litter just blew that out of the water."

Ryker nearly fell from his haphazard seat as he jumped at the sudden voice. Looking over he saw Saya standing with her arms crossed under her breasts, eyes studying him curiously. "Saya-chan, you startled me." He smiled warmly despite his comment and hopped down from the wall. "You don't have shift tonight. I was to be the last one."

Saya blew a stray hair from her face. "You volunteered for that. I was supposed to be the last one. Miyamoto told me that you offered to simply stay awake."

"Second shift is the worst. You sleep a little, wake up, and then fight to get back to sleep knowing you need to be awake in just a few hours. I knew I'd never fall asleep. Besides, you had a rough day."

"Do you always do that?" Saya's voice was quiet but it had a string of emotion in it. "Do you always put others before yourself? Busujima-san told us about what you did. How you throw caution to the wind when you see someone in danger." She looked away, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but what happens if you take on too much?"

Ryker eyed the pink-haired girl for a moment before answering. "I would gladly give my life in the protection of someone I cared about."

He spoke without even the smallest hint of doubt in his voice and it was frustrating Saya to the point she actually gripped her hair in her fists. "That's not fair to others! What about people who care about you?!" She was again showing signs at her regrets for leaving her parents but was that all?

"I've already watched someone I care for die right before my eyes when there was nothing I could do about it Saya-chan. I could not live with myself if I was in a similar situation and _chose_ to do nothing." Ryker sighed and shook his head, tears burning at his eyes.

Saya turned back and saw the man before her in an unusually vulnerable state. Though she had known him less than a day she had never thought he was someone to come unglued after seeing him, talking with him and hearing Saeko's tales of him. "I'm sorry Ryker-san. It's just that I'm scared about tomorrow. Miyamoto is a competent fighter but aside from her, you're it. If you get injured or killed we all die."

Ryker nodded and away from the wall, closer to Saya. "I promise Saya-chan. You and Rei-chan and little Alice-chan will return here tomorrow alive and well. I've never made a promise I cannot keep."

Looking up into his brown eyes, Saya felt reassured but also noticed his wording. She was, after all, a genius. "And you?"

He smiled. "I've never made a promise I can't keep Saya-chan."

She stood there for a moment, amazed at his ability to talk so casually about dying for people he met just hours before. _'Is he really this selfless? Does he place our lives so high or is it that he values his own life so low?'_

A door closing not-so-subtly startled them both into looking down the stairs. At the bottom stood Saeko, face devoid of emotions as she looked from Saya to Ryker. "I came out to keep you company for the last hour." Her eyes narrowed as the slid to Saya. "But I see you already have some." Without another word she turned and went back inside, leaving both in stunned silence.

"What was that all about?"

Ryker ran his hand down his face in frustration. This was becoming a 'thing' now. "I don't even know."

Saya tilted her head to the side. "Shouldn't you go after her?"

He shook his head. "No. She's been acting strange all day. I'd rather not have a confrontation right before we head out in separate groups."

Nodding slowly but keeping her eyes on him, Saya thought it over for a moment before leaning back against the wall behind her in silence. There was a lot she wanted to know about Ryker and now, with Saeko's strange behavior, her curiosity was piqued. _'Just what exactly happened in the past few days?'_

* * *

Saeko sat down behind the Humvee in a huff. _'Why is this bothering me so much? It's none of my business who he talks to. It's not like they were making out or anything. And so what if they were? It's not like we actually are a couple. Are we?' _She let out a loud sigh and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. _'I'm acting like a child. What he does is his business. If we are to become something… more, I will make that decision at a later time.' _Shaking her head she thumped it against the Humvee bumper. _'But what if he decides to like someone else? Miyamoto is beautiful and way less complicated. Well, she has the thing for Takashi but that aside she's a perfect girl; young, sweet, innocent. Ugh! And Takagi is a genius and has no emotional ties! I don't even know what to do. What do I want to do?'_

"Saeko-san?"

Opening her eyes, Saeko looked over and saw Rei kneeling beside her. "Yes Miyamoto?"

The brunette smiled. "Are you okay? You seem distraught."

'_Great. Even she can see I'm losing it.'_ She smiled in return. "I'm fine Miyamoto. Just thinking about today."

Rei nodded and stood. " Okay. Well, be careful okay? And if you see my parents have… have…" She looked away. "You know. I want you to be the one to do it, okay?"

Saeko looked up in surprise. "Why me?"

Brushing her hair back, Rei shrugged. "I don't want Takashi to bear the guilt. He knows them. For you they'd just be more of _them_." She saw Saeko's expression darken and quickly added. "Not that I expect it to be so easy for you just-"

"I get it Miyamoto. I'd not want someone I had feelings for to be the one to kill my family either." Saeko stood and brushed the dust from her legs. "I will do as you request if it is needed Miyamoto. But let's hope it's not."

A quick nod was her only response as the others began waking up noisily. Takashi quickly got out of the vehicle and adjusted his simple outfit of slacks and a long-sleeve shirt; both dark blue. Miss Shizuna stumbled out of the front seat in a daze, her long blonde hair completely disheveled.

The door opened and the two members from outside entered. The sun was coming over the horizon and that meant it was time to get ready to go. Rei would lead Ryker, Saya and Alice to Takashi's home since she knew directions while Takashi would lead the other group to Rei's.

As they set out from the garage in opposite directions, Ryker looked back and caught Saeko's eyes for a moment. He smiled and nodded at her; a silent 'be safe' towhich she, despite her frustrations, returned. Something about his smile just forced her to smile no matter the conditions.

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Well. That was something. I totally skipped writing my Ruby Eyes chapter for this on my LAST day off. So I really hope people liked it. I kinda liked it, kinda didn't. I enjoy giving information and having people interact but I know people are most likely going "WHERE DA ZOMBIES AT?!". Don't worry. I PROMISE much more eventfulness in Chap10. When I'll get it up is the question… will I make it before I leave country or will it wait the weeks of demobilization?! I'm 100% positive that reviews will influence this._

_Hope you enjoyed the little drama I tossed in. Much more to be had of course. Also: I recognize I'm not doing a full-on Saya too well. It's going to be touch and go for her. I promise, she's still arrogant and snooty… just not all the time. Especially not when she feels so confused. Also this is a shorter chap, next one will be the longest of the story thus far I am assuming.  
_

_Now, to the massive majority of WHY I wrote this chapter today instead of my FFX-2 one…_

_**Loki'sBird: **__Your review single-handedly pushed my desire to write anything but this story today out the window. Waking up to that totally had my day start off in fantastic fashion. I am SO glad you love Ryker. Especially since his personality is derived from yours truly. Just way, way better. So please feel free to 'fangirl' all over the place because as you can see, results! I admit these last two chapters were not as exciting as Make Love, Not War but I hope they are enough of a build-up to keep you reading. Next chapter is going to have all kinds of craziness._


	11. A Cop, a Crush, and a Fall

**Chapter 10**

**A Cop, a Crush, and a Fall**

"So Ryker-san, why did you choose to come to Japan?"

Ryker looked over at the brunette on his left who was adjusting the rifle strapped over her chest before returning his gaze to the road ahead. "I needed a change. I had nothing in America worth staying for and I'd always wanted to visit Japan.

Adjusting the large pack she wore, Saya looked over at Ryker from the opposite side of Rei. "No family or anything Ryker-san?"

"My daughter and ex-fiancé died in a car crash shortly after I returned and my father died shortly before that."

Silence filled the air as both girls inwardly cringed at having brought upon such a melancholic topic up. After a few moments of the quiet, the youngest member of the group spoke up.

"You had a daughter Ryker-san?"

"Alice-chan! I doubt Ryker wants to talk about such a thi-" Saya was interrupted by Ryker's calm voice.

"It's fine Saya-chan." He turned to his left, smiling down at Alice. "Yes Alice-chan. She was five when the accident happened."

The young girl nodded and picked up Zeke, idly stroking his head as she walked. "Do you like Japan?"

Ryker smiled. The young girl was definitely adorable and her attitude was unique for someone her age. "I do. At first it was difficult because I didn't know anyone. Even though I spoke enough Japanese to get by I was still a foreigner and it took a while for people to warm up to me."

"You seem incredibly easy to get along with Ryker-san." Rei looked over and smiled.

_ 'I can see what Takashi likes about her. She's a cute girl and she's not lacking in personality or body.' _He returned the smile with a shrug. "I just see no reason not to be, Rei-chan. As long as someone doesn't do something to lose my respect I will treat them with kindness and courtesy."

"That's not very American of you." Saya muttered.

Surprising the girls, Ryker laughed. "I hate to agree but it's true. One of the many reasons I wanted to come to Japan, Saya-chan. I loved the culture and the language but I especially loved how different the human interactions were from back in the states."

Rei seemed thoughtful for a moment before asking a question that attained all ears. "So did you meet anyone while here in Japan Ryker-san?"

"I met plenty of people over here Rei-chan." He looked over with a smile before shaking his head at her blank stare. "And I'm the one who gets called out for being too personal." Ryker laughed. "I've only been here for a few months and I'm honestly not sure I'm worth the trouble."

Alice piped up before either of the other girls could. "I think you are Ryker-san! You're nice to everyone and so willing to help without thinking of yourself at all. I guess you're fortunate you're surrounded by so many cute girls now!"

"Alice-chan!" Saya and Rei called out in unison.

Ryker laughed again and shook his head. "Well you have one thing correct there Alice-chan." He glanced from Rei to Saya before returning his gaze ahead. "I've met more pretty girls in the last week than my entire time in this country."

Both of the older girls blushed and Alice simply smiled as she hugged Zeke to her chest. She was happy to be with Ryker-san for this. As much as she enjoyed being around Kohta-san and Miss Shizuka it was a nice change of pace. Besides, she could speak English with him whenever she wanted and none of the others would know their conversation.

* * *

Takashi leaned against the fence behind him, panting in exhaustion. "You'd think we'd start to run out of people at some point!"

"Not in a city this large." Saeko side-stepped a decayed arm that swiped at her face before bringing her blade down on the creature's head. Before she could turn towards the next target, its head erupted in a spray of blood and brains as Kohta's well-placed shot connected. She nodded her thanks before circling back to prevent the group from being flanked by _them_.

Miss Shizuna was back with Kohta while Takashi and Saeko beat back the horde of _them_ that stood between the group and Rei's house just up the road. Originally they had planned on sneaking past the group but a rogue soda can had found its way into the path of the typically oblivious nurse. The sound had at first alerted only a few but when one nearly bit Takashi, Kohta's rifle ripped through the quiet morning air. It had saved the young leader but had brought dozens of _them_ to their location.

Ducking under the grip of what was once a middle-aged man Takashi slammed the stock of his shotgun into the base of its skull before leveling it and pulling the trigger into another group. There was simply no end and their continued noise was not making it any easier. When he saw an opening he nodded to Saeko who quickly followed.

Their goal was to draw the flow of _them_ into an alley and escape back around to continue their journey and it seemed to be working. As the two teenagers sprinted down the alley, intentionally knocking trashcans over along the way, the horde changed direction after them. Before long they had doubled back and were panting for breath beside Kohta and Miss Shizuka.

"Are you both alright?" The busty blonde asked as she held her bag tightly.

They both nodded and began their journey to Rei's house again. Takashi knew the way and was apprehensive about the outcome. _'If it's this bad out here the hopes they are unturned seem slim. I hope, for Rei's sake, I'm wrong.'_ He thought to himself as her house came into view. After all, would he be able to kill his childhood love's parents if he needed to?

* * *

Approaching the medium-sized house, Ryker approached the front door cautiously. His pistol was drawn and both hands held it tightly at a low-ready. He looked up to Rei who nodded; this was their destination. Somehow they had avoided any conflict with _them_ on their trip here. A few times they had come across a few groups that were wandering aimlessly but they had simply kept walking and managed to pass by unnoticed.

Saya white-knuckled the Luger that her mother had given her as she leaned against the opposite side of the door from Ryker. He offered her a warm, reassuring smile and she flashed back a small one in return. In all honesty she was terrified. The thought of dealing with more of _them_ did not appeal to her but to potentially kill a childhood friend's parents was not something she wanted to consider.

Standing in front of the door, Rei glanced from Saya to Ryker. When she nodded to Ryker, he reached out and turned the handle, pushing the surprisingly unlocked door open quietly. Rei stood ready with her bayonet ready but nothing rushed out at them. Breathing a sigh of relief, she watched as Ryker entered the building in such a precise form that it seemed like he was made for such things.

As he stepped through the doorway, Ryker raised his pistol and scanned the room; the barrel of the M9 moving fluidly with his eyes from corner to corner, window to window as he continued to move through the room. When he reached the far corner of the room he looked back and nodded to the others. The room was clear.

Nodding to Rei, Saya stepped inside and looked around as well before coming to a stop beside Ryker. "Nothing is broken or disturbed." She whispered to him softly.

"Which could mean they have not been home or they simply barricaded themselves upstairs. Either way, it looks like a positive thing." He responded just as quietly.

When Rei entered the house, Ryker pointed to the kitchen before making his way to the stairs. As he ascended the steps, Saya and Rei made their way into the kitchen; this was a good opportunity to restock on some food if any were available. Alice followed Rei and Saya, helping to grab whatever they could find and load the bag Saya wore.

"For being considered a normal house, it sure is huge." Ryker mumbled as he ascended another set of stairs, now on the third and final floor of the house. Looking around his eyes widened at the scene. Unlike the previous two floors that were mostly untouched the third floor was a disaster. Furniture was shredded and broken; it was as though wild animals had torn the place apart but had somehow neglected the rest of the house.

A trail of red caught his eye and he gripped his pistol tightly before following it. He wanted to alert the others but was not willing to endanger them. A simple shout could alert any of _them_ nearby and he was two floors away from helping. That aside, he did not wish to alert anything that may be up here still.

Following the trail around a corner he let out a gasp. There was a body, or rather what was left of it, spread across the small bedroom. It was likely a male due to the girth of the torso but with the majority of the flesh missing and limbs in various corners it was hard to tell. The body was not the cause of his gasp however; the shock came from what was currently gorging itself on the torso's entrails and the others around it.

At the sound of the gasp, black eyes looked up at the intruding human and a low growl escaped from the gore covered mouth of the beast. Rising up, the four creatures that were likely once large dogs let out threatening growls and coiled in preparation to strike. _'Fucking dogs?!' _He raised his weapon just as they sprang at him in a flash of bloodied teeth and rotten jaws opened wide.

* * *

With a sigh, Takashi and the others exited the empty house. There was no sign of Rei's parents but at least the place was without blood or broken furniture. "Rei's father is most-likely at the East Police Station and her mother could be staying with friends. There's no reason to think the worst right now with no evidence of violence here."

Saeko nodded. "We should go to the station and see if Rei's father is there if it's not too far from here. Besides, if the station has any spare ammo I'm sure you and Hirano could use it."

Kohta agreed quickly. "We are getting a bit low Takashi. The police station isn't that far if I remember correctly."

"Then I guess that's where we'll go next. Hopefully the others are having better luck than we are." Takashi looked up at the sun as it neared the midday mark. _'I hope you're alright mom and dad. I could really use your advice in a time like this.'_

* * *

Gunshots startled the two girls into dropping the canned supplies in their hands before sharing a panicked look. "Ryker." As they ran up the stairs they heard wood snapping followed by the sound of glass shattering. At the top of the stairs both girls gasped at the site before them.

Two creatures that resembled dogs were lying motionless on the floor with blood pooling from their skulls. Their flesh had significantly decayed but the blood was still fresh; somehow they had been turned similarly to the creatures outside that had once been human. The nearby window had exploded outward with even the frame splintered.

"Ryker-san?" Rei called out tentatively. She held her bayonet defensively and looked around, heart pounding.

"I'm here Rei-chan." Came a tired voice from around a corner. "But be careful, there's still one more up here."

Saya stepped over the dead beasts and looked out the window, seeing that a third lay on the pavement below. "What the hell are these things? I didn't think this affected animals."

Shrugging, Ryker leaned heavily on the wall nearby to Saya. "I'm not sure. Either the virus or whatever it is has evolved or we simply have yet come across anything like this by sheer luck."

Seeing that Ryker was obviously in pain, Rei took a step towards him. "Ryker-san, are you hurt?" At her question, Saya's eyes went wide and she snapped her attention to the man who was supporting most of his weight against the wall.

"I'm fine Rei-chan. I was not bit; I simply lost my footing when one leapt at me and ended up going through that table. It had a more interesting journey outside."

As he spoke, Rei was watching blood running down the wall behind him. "Ryker-san, we need to loo-"

Rei's sentence was cut short as Ryker suddenly dashed across the room and shoved Saya violently, sending the small girl tumbling back onto a thankfully soft couch. A fraction of a second later Ryker was struck mid-chest by the snarling beast that had launched itself at Saya. The force of the impact sent both man and beast through the already devastated window and down to the ground below.

Saya sat there in shock, her eyes wide and mouth twitching as she tried to rationalize what she just saw.

Rushing to the window, Rei snapped a hand over her mouth. They had not gone as far as the previously departed and had landed on the grass rather than the harsh concrete but it still did not look well. Neither the beast nor Ryker were moving and the pool of blood beneath them was slowly growing.

"Ryker-san…"

* * *

"Are you doing okay Miss Shizuka?" Kohta smiled at the older nurse as she carried the large spear from Rei's house. It belonged to her father and Takashi knew she would appreciate him bringing it back.

"I'm okay Kohta-kun." She let out a sigh. "I just hate walking so much! I was not built for this kind of exercise."

Kohta attempted to keep his eyes from the busty blonde's chest as she stretched and nearly split the already tight, white shirt she wore. "I'm not a big fan of it either. I just hope we can find Rei's father and get back in time for dinner."

Looking back at the two, Saeko offered a smile. "We'll be back before then Hirano. Just be sure to cover our six. Would be pretty embarrassing to have one of _them_ sneak up on us."

"Yes ma'am!" Kohta grinned and continued his scanning of the area as they walked. This whole apocalyptic event, while terrible, had truly allowed him to come out of his shell. He had never had friends before this and now he had a whole group of incredible friends.

As they arrived at the East Police Station the scene was less than optimistic. Police cars were burning and the doors to the station were torn from their hinges. Despite this, the group pressed on and made their way inside the desolate building.

Once inside they split up; Kohta with Miss Shizuka and Takashi with Saeko. As they looked around, they realized that the station had been overrun at one point. Dozens of dead littered the floor with bullet wounds to the head. Approaching a desk, Takashi stopped and looked at the picture. "Hey Saeko, this is Rei with her father!"

She looked over and spotted a note beside the keyboard. "It says here that he took a small group and made their way to the elementary school to look for survivors." She looked at Takashi. "Didn't you say your mother taught there Takashi?"

He nodded and before he could speak, a frightened scream from across the room interrupted him.

"Please don't kill Asami!"

Kohta stumbled back and fell over a chair as the woman under the desk screeched at him. "I'm not going to kill anyone! Who are you and who's Asami!?"

Eyes wide, she climbed out from under the desk and smoothed out her navy blue skirt before looking at the boy who had stood as well. "Asami is an officer in the Tokonosu Higashi Police Station's traffic department. She is not a very good one however." Her eyes brimmed over with tears.

Rounding the corner, Takashi stopped short at the sight of the light-brown haired girl standing there. She appeared to be nineteen or twenty and had short cropped hair that fell over half her face. She wore a simple police uniform consisting of a white shirt with a black tie under a navy blue jacket and matching skirt. "Are you okay miss?"

She nodded, looking from Takashi back to Kohta. "Asami just arrived a few minutes ago. She was terrified and hid when she heard noise." She looked down. "She lost her weapon when running from a group of those things."

Takashi looked from the officer to Kohta. "We need to get out of here. Rei's father left a note saying he was heading to the elementary school with surviving officers to look for survivors there. We should meet up with the others and head over to the school as a group."

Miss Shizuka nodded. "I agree with Takashi-kun. We've been out all day and if we keep going exhaustion will kick in. The school has a great fenced in location and should be relatively safe if the police got there in time."

Looking at the fidgeting officer, Kohta offered a smile. "My name is Kohta Hirano. This is Takashi Komuro, Miss Shizuka Marikawa, and Saeko Busujima." He pointed at each as he named them and each bowed in turn.

"It is nice to meet you all. Asami is glad that citizens are still alive." She looked down, fidgeting slightly. "May she come with you?"

Kohta spoke for everyone. "Of course! Now let's get out of here and get something to eat." At the mention of food a growl came from the young officer's stomach and she blushed in embarrassment.

As they walked back out to the street, Takashi looked in the direction of the school with a sigh. _'Hang in there mom. Tomorrow we'll come first thing in the Humvee and get you out of there.'_

* * *

"Ryker-san! Ryker-san!" Rei ran out the front door with Saya close behind. Alice remained in the doorway, eyes wide as she clutched Zeke tightly. As they approached the motionless man, they slowed and realized the majority of the blood was coming from the dog-creature that was atop Ryker with a knife impaling its head from under the jaw.

Rei knelt beside him and pushed the dog off of his chest and stared at him for a moment, an excited squeal coming from her when she saw his chest was still rising and falling. "Saya! He's alive!"

Kneeling on the other side of him, Saya tore a piece of her sleeve off and began wiping the copious amounts of blood from his face and neck. She grew more and more relieved to see the lack of wounds beneath the mess; it appeared he was unbitten and that all of the blood on his front was from the strange creature.

"Sa… ya… chan…." The words were barely a whisper but both girls head him clearly in the afternoon silence.

Leaning close, Saya blinked back tears and flinched as he coughed, a small amount of blood running down the side of his mouth that strangely was turning to a smile. "Yes Ryker-san?"

Ryker took a deep breath, wincing at the familiar pain of broken ribs. "Sorry I pushed you so hard." His smile faded for a cough but returned immediately after.

Orange eyes narrowed into slits as Saya snapped. "You sonofaBITCH!" she slammed a fist against his chest as tears poured from her face. "We just talked about this earlier!" she struck him again but with less force as her body shook. "You can't just carelessly throw your life away in attempt to save someone! What if you died? What would Miyamoto and I do? And Alice-chan?" Her rage was blinding and yet she continued to cry as she screamed at him.

"Saya that's enough! What's wrong with you?" Rei asked incredulously. She had only seen the pink-haired girl lose it similarly once before; back at the school when she had killed her first one of _them_ with a power drill. It was strange she would be so emotionally distraught.

Letting out a sigh and making an effort to sit up, Ryker locked his eyes on Saya's. "I didn't really have time to think Saya-chan. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and I reacted." He smiled his usual warm smile. "If I had time to think, I still would have done it."

Growling in frustration Saya crossed her arms and looked away from him. "You really are impossible Ryker-san."

As he finally managed to sit up, he looked at his left arm with disdain; his left shoulder was at the very least dislocated. "I made a promise Saya-chan. I never break my promises."

Alice ran out as he sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, oblivious to the blood soaking into her clothing in the process. "Oh Ryker-san, I was so worried."

Closing his eyes, Ryker's face twisted in a mixture of joy and sorrow; something that Rei noticed but kept to herself, for now. "I couldn't leave you Alice-chan. We have many things to talk about still and if the others decide to keep me around long enough, I'd like to teach you some things to help out."

Releasing her grip on him, the young girl stepped back with a smile. "They will! I'm sure of it."

Ryker grunted in effort as he got to his feet; his left arm dangling uselessly. "We should head back. No one was here. Takashi said his father was out of town and his mother works at a school. We can head to the school as a large group. It's too big to cover as only four."

Saya huffed and went back inside to get the bag of supplies with Alice while Rei lingered behind and studied the injured American. "You put on a good front but sometimes it would be better if you just shared your pain Ryker-san."

Smiling at the brunette, Ryker nodded knowingly. "I understand Rei-chan but it does no one any good out here to listen to me complain about a few cuts and bruises."

She shook her head and looked back at the door before continuing. "I meant your wounds on the inside Ryker-san." Brushing a stray hair behind her ear, she smiled. "If you need someone to talk to, I'd be willing to listen. I don't know your deal with Busujima or If you'd rather talk with Saya but the offer is there."

"Thank you Rei-chan. I may hold you to that one day." Looking up he smiled as the other two girls came out of the house. "Let's head back." He turned and took a step before his leg buckled and he dropped to a knee.

"Ryker-san!" Saya rushed over and set her bag down. "You're too hurt to walk back."

Shaking his head, Ryker got to his feet again. Sweat was beading on his forehead and the weakness he felt was growing but he knew there was nothing they could do about it here. "I'll be fine. Would you," he paused and sighed. "May I use you for support?"

Rei motioned for Alice to grab the bag of supplies and stood on Ryker's left, lifting his injured arm and flinching as he grunted in pain. "Sorry!" He offered a smile and nodded, allowing her to step under his arm as Saya did the same on his opposite side. He was not terribly large but he was certainly bigger than the girls or even Takashi.

Doing his best to keep as much weight off the girls as possible, Ryker kept his eyes on the road ahead of him. Though his back was still bleeding significantly, the impact of the fall had done well to compress the area due to swelling and had slowed the blood loss.

Despite all of this he couldn't help but smile. _'Never in a million years would I have believed someone if they told me any of this. And sadly, the two beautiful girls under each arm would even be less believable than the whole idea of a zombie apocalypse.' _He chuckled at the thought but was cut short by the pain in his chest. When the girls looked at him curiously, he simply shook his head with a smile.

* * *

The sun had already settled beyond the horizon and the moon was doing its best to illuminate the dark city. Takashi was pacing by the Humvee as everyone sat in concerned silence. _'They should have been back hours ago. My house is closer than Rei's and we even stopped at the police station.'_

Sitting behind the Humvee and fiddling with her star-shaped earrings, Asami looked up as Kohta approached and sat across from her. "Hello Hirano-san."

Smiling at the light-haired girl, Kohta rubbed his neck nervously. "You can call me Kohta if you like Asami-san."

She smiled and nodded. "Only if you get rid of the unfamiliar honorific, okay? I suppose with the world in the state it's in we should not be so formal with our friends."

Blushing and smiling shyly, Kohta nodded. "Okay, Asami-chan." When she smiled in return he offered her a packet of crackers. "I know you're hungry and Takashi wants to wait on the others for dinner so…"

"Thank you Kohta-kun." She smiled and accepted the offering. "Asami just wishes she was a better officer."

"I bet you're a great officer!" Kohta blurted out before covering his mouth with a further blush. "What I mean is, you managed to survive all this time. That counts for something."

She shook her head. "Asami did poorly in academy and since the outbreak has only hidden and fled from those things."

Kohta shrugged. "You did what you needed to do to survive. That's what matters." He looked up as the door to the garage closed loudly.

Takashi looked over at Kohta before making his way over to the door and outside. When he got there he saw Saeko was pacing at the top of the stairs. "Saeko-san?"

She looked down briefly before returning her eyes to the street corners. _'Where the hell are they?'_

Climbing the stairs and stopping at the top, Takashi watched the indigo-haired girl for a moment. "Saeko-san, I'm sure they are fine. Maybe they had to hole up somewhere?"

Saeko shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. Ryker is against stopping unless it's absolutely necessary when not in a pre-scouted area. The risks are just too high between _them_ and crazed humans."

Takashi frowned in thought before looking down at each street corner as well. "There's something between you two isn't there?"

"Pardon?" She stopped her pacing to face the young leader.

"You've been acting different since you got back with him and I've noticed you've just been a bit out of it since he left with the others."

She sighed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He saved my life Takashi. And not in a small way. Of course I am worried for him just as I am worried for the others to return as well."

He nodded, accepting her answer for now. _'Always so secretive Saeko-san. Someday you should really let someone in.'_ He suddenly gasped and pointed down the road as a group turned the corner.

Saeko spun and looked as well, her heart pounding in her chest. _'Why am I so apprehensive about this?' _She stepped forward before stopping cold, her expression darkening like the sky had after the sun left. Ryker was walking with his arms around both girls. What in the world was going on?

Takashi was stumped too at seeing both Saya and Rei underneath the American's broad shoulders but as they neared both he and Saeko flinched at the sight. He was not holding them, rather they were holding him from collapsing.

Without a word, Saeko sprinted toward the group as tears burned at her eyes. _'You promised me Ryker Belmont, you promised me you'd come back!'_

Saeko arrived to the group, followed shortly by Takashi, and took in the blood-soaked people before them. Even Alice was covered in the red fluid. Before either could speak, Saya broke the silence.

"Don't help or anything. It's not like we've been carrying him for the past few hours." She angrily hissed out.

Takashi and Saeko immediately swapped the two girls out; Ryker grunted in pain as his injured shoulder was manipulated during the transfer from Rei to Saeko. When she looked up at him she felt her heart begin to pound again at his current state.

His skin was unusually pale and he looked as weak as he felt. As they walked back to the garage he was barely able to lift his feet with each step. Saya opened the door and let everyone inside before following closely.

"Miss Shizuka!" Takashi called out when the door had closed. "Miss Shizuka, medical equipment and hurry!"

Stumbling from the Humvee, the ditzy blonde went into auto-pilot. Despite coming across as a complete airhead in regards to many things in life there was one thing she truly excelled in and that was medicine. As Rei and Saya laid out a blanket, Saeko and Takashi slowly helped Ryker down onto it while making sure he didn't hit his head.

"Saeko-chan, I need water. A lot of it. There should be a hose outside that still works. Fill me up a few buckets of some kind with it." The young girl nodded at the nurse and ran to her task. Looking at Takashi, Miss Shizuka continued. "You will be here to hold him down if needed." She turned to Rei. "Get his shirt off and then hand me what I ask for." Lastly she turned to Saya. "Saya-chan, you need to stay by his head and keep him talking. He's lost a lot of blood and if he passes out he may not recover."

Each person nodded in acceptance of their assignment but Saya struggled to swallow. _'This is all my fault. I should have been paying attention and he'd never have had to save me and now he's hurt and he might not recover?' _Her thoughts were interrupted by Ryker crying out in pain as Miss Shizuka pressed against his ribs.

"He has numerous fractures in his ribs, his shoulder is dislocated and he has significant wounds to his back." She looked up curiously. "What happened to him?"

Rei saw Saya was focusing on Ryker and not the question so answered briefly. "He was attacked by mutated dogs. One put him through a glass table and the other knocked him out of the third story window."

Takashi froze. _'The third floor? So they at least made it to my house.' _He swallowed hard and looked at Rei. She shook her head and offered a smile and he returned it. "Once he's stable, we'll talk about the mission." She nodded and went back to cutting the material away from Ryker while Takashi helped sit him up to remove the back.

"Hold him up Takashi, I need to clean the wound or it will get infected." The nurse moved behind Ryker just as Saeko returned with a single bucket of water. "One will have to do I guess. Rei-chan, hand me that bottle of rubbing alcohol and the forceps there." Rei stared at her blankly and the blonde sighed in annoyance. "The tweezer-like things."

Getting the idea, Rei dug through the bag and handed the two things over quickly. Saeko stood there awkwardly feeling unable to help but unwilling to just leave. Ryker seemed to be fading out of consciousness and had not spoken a word since being brought in.

"Saeko-chan, go and look through Ryker-san's bag for anything we might be able to use." As the dark-haired girl nodded and left, Miss Shizuka looked at Takashi with a serious expression. "I need you to hold him with all of your might okay? He's likely a lot stronger than you normally but with all the blood he lost you should be able to restrain him." She looked to Saya. "Try and talk to him. Keep him lucid."

Both teenagers swallowed hard and nodded. Takashi took a solid grip of the larger man's arms and braced himself as best he could. Saya moved in front of Ryker, kneeling just before him.

"Ryker-san? Ryker-san!"

He blinked, seemingly in a daze. "Saya-chan?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, Saya-chan. We're going to fix you up now okay? It's going to hurt but you need to be strong."

Ryker smiled weakly. "I am not a stranger to pain Saya-chan. Thank you for carrying me. I am sorry to have been such a burden."

"You saved my life Ryker-san. Not once but twice. You could not be a burden to me." She blushed and blew a strand of hair away from her face. "Besides, even if you were a burden I couldn't just leave you-"

"Are you growing sweet on me Saya-chan?" He interrupted playfully. Even now his attitude was unaffected by his physical condition.

Blushing a deep crimson Saya glared at him. "I was not finished Ryker-san! I meant I couldn't leave you and be stuck with all these morons! I was attempting to compliment your intelligence and you make me feel the opposite!"

Ryker smiled before suddenly gasping and gripping his pants in both fists tight enough to whiten his hands entirely. Miss Shizuka had just dabbed his back with alcohol and it felt like what he assumed pouring molten lava over his skin would. Clenching his teeth and tensing his core, he refused to make a sound as she blonde nurse worked at cleaning his back.

Saya felt tears spring to her eyes all over again at seeing him endure such pain. As Miss Shizuka finished wiping the area with alcohol, she gently rested a hand on Ryker's uninjured shoulder. "I have to pull some glass from your back now. Try not to move."

Smirking, Ryker nodded. "No problem." His eyes returned to the orange eyes of the pink-haired girl before him. "I got you back safely. Told you I never break my promises."

"You came pretty close to breaking one to me Ry-kun."

Looking up, Ryker smiled weakly at Saeko. "But I did not Saeko-chan. I'm alive and, AH!" he grit his teeth as a particularly large shard of glass was removed. "well."

Saeko shook her head. "You are unbelievable Ry-kun. When you're feeling better I'd like to speak with you." Her gaze slid to Saya. "Alone."

The girl kneeling before Ryker felt a sudden chill at the last comment. As the indigo-haired girl walked away, Saya returned her gaze to Ryker who was struggling not to curse at the blonde digging in his back. "Ryker-san…"

Smiling despite the pain, Ryker spoke before she could continue. "How many times will I have to save your life before you stop calling me by such a formal name?"

Saya blushed slightly. "But the age difference…"

"Age differences don't mean anything to me."

Feeling her face heat up significantly at the broad interpretation of what he was saying, Saya nodded and mumbled. "Okay, Ryker-kun."

Clenching his teeth as Miss Shizuka patted his back with a rag dipped in alcohol he let out a slow breath. "Much better." He was nervous to ask her to call him such, especially with Saeko's recent moods but her version was different enough from Saeko's that he felt it might go over fine. Saeko's version felt far more intimate.

"There." Miss Shizuka exclaimed as she finished wrapping Ryker's back with the Kerlex gauze that Saeko had brought from his bag. "Now lay back Ryker-san. We need to get some fluid in you. You lost a significant amount of blood. I know you feel fine now but-"

"But I could decompensate at any moment. I understand Shizuka-san." He looked at her nervous eyes as he laid back. "You don't seem terribly confident."

Miss Shizuka blushed and looked away. "I've never been good at giving IV's. Something about piercing a vein and forcing a catheter into it is just so gross!"

Ryker would have laughed but his chest pain stopped him. "Saya-chan, do you have steady hands?"

The pink-haired girl blanched. "You can't be serious."

He smiled up at her. "I have faith in you. It's a simple thing to do and anyone can do it without any practice needed."

Looking to Rei and Takashi for help, Saya received no offers and sighed. "Fine. But if I kill you, it's your fault."

Ryker nodded and looked over as Miss Shizuka laid out the necessary materials; an eighteen-gauge needle with catheter, a strip of rubber, IV tubing and one of his bags of saline that he had brought.

Saya looked from the pile to Ryker in disbelief. "I can't believe you're making me do this. Can't you do one on yourself?"

"I could if I had function in my left arm. You can't run the line in my injured arm." She sighed and moved everything over to his right side. Once she was set up he continued. "Tie the rubber strap around my upper arm, tightly, in a slip knot. Once she did this, he clenched his fist and veins immediately popped up.

"Well at least I can see them." Saya said in relief. In all honesty, they would going to be difficult to miss at all due to their size. The problem was her fear of hurting him and also the fear of lancing the vein, causing a bleed but no access.

"There, now grab the needle and pick a vein." He smiled as she selected one centered at his elbow joint. "Wipe with an alcohol prep and uncap the needle." She did as instructed and continued following his directions as he slowly walked her through it. "When you go in, go at an angle. Yes, just like that. You will see blood spring into that chamber; that's the flash. Excellent work Saya. Now go in just a little bit more and advance the catheter. Wonderful. Remove the band now and apply pressure on the vein above the site. Okay now pull the needle out and screw the IV tubing into the catheter."

Having prepped the line, Miss Shizuka handed the tubing to Saya who screwed it into the catheter, doing her best to ignore the blood that was running over her fingers. Once the line was secured and the drip ran smoothly, Saya let out a loud sigh of relief and sat back.

"You did fantastic Saya-chan. Like a trained medic." He smiled weakly and laid back; the exertion finally catching up to him.

Seeing his condition deteriorating, Saya scooted up closer to his head. "Ryker-kun are you okay? Ryker-kun?"

Miss Shizuka smiled at the pink-haired girl. "He's okay Saya-chan. He just needs rest. I need to clean up." She gestured to the blood covering her hands, arms, chest and legs. "Stay with him in case he needs something."

Saya nodded and looked up to see that Rei and Takashi had walked back to the Humvee as well, engaged in a conversation that likely involved their journeys today. As she sat there at his head, she took a moment to look him over and a slight blush crept into her cheeks at the sight of him shirtless. Now that the chaos was over she was able to actually appreciate the view without the blood or fear of him dying. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back against the concrete wall. _'You are a strange man Ryker-kun. But I have to say I've never been so intrigued by someone. I really hope to get some more alone time with you. I definitely want to know more about you and your past.'_

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_Well then. That was a fun write! This was my final chapter in Afghanistan as my flight is set to leave within 24 hours. I really hope you all like it. Quick question: Are the lines I use between 'breaks' sufficient? People have any issues with them? I can try other things but few formats work._

_There is significant OOC-ness for Saya in this chapter but to be fair in certain situations she was far more likable than her usual tsundere character._

_I also decided to 'borrow' Asami from the manga. Note: I did not read the manga. I will not follow the manga. The only things that will be similar are the above similarities such as the note in the police station and Asami's adorable habit of talking in third-person. There is no mall scene to come. There is no way I will be able to keep Asami "in character" since 1: she does not have a significant role in the manga and 2: I have not read the manga!_

_I hope the medical talk wasn't too much for some but I enjoyed filtering it in. To be honest, it really is that easy to start an IV._

_On that note, any feelings about the sudden Saya crush? Oh dear :X Still waiting on the torches and pitchforks lol It's why I cut this chapter "short". I know, I know. Longest by far of the series but I wanted to go 9k+! But if people HATED what I was doing it would be a bad idea._

_Please please review. I will not be online on my laptop for almost two weeks or more so I need guidance because I WILL be writing during this time. So if you review BEFORE I begin the next chapter, you can help shape it!_

_Now to my reviewers who made my day!_

_**Axcel:**__ It is easier to say after being here sadly. Remember, Ryker's entire personality (emotions, how he acts, what he says) is my personality. He's a bit tougher than me (read: a lot tougher) but I'm trying to keep his actions to fit how I would act in his situation._

_**Hades378: **__Thank you. I see that is for chapter 3 and by the time you read this, you'll have realized my chapters have gone up significantly in length. I tend to be a 'downhill runner' I guess. And I'm glad you decided to give it a shot! I hope you like all the chapters in between!_

_**PandaTrueno86: **__I agree. I want people to realize these are not super heroes out doing their daily thing; these are basically teenage kids with a few in their twenties trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. I have much violence planned for the next chapters though! Especially the next one._

_**FrancisVamp0822: **__Thanks, twice! I love the Army too. I'll love it more when I'm away from it LOL. Hope to keep you reading!_

_**Caet: **__Heart~! I'm glad I got a chuckle and a mental image from that. Most people dislike Shizuka but I find her lovable at times. And in this chapter, useful! I look forward to your review of this beast of a chapter._

_**Loki'sBird: **__Oh man. You know how to say all the right things~ Fangirl all you want! In fact, the more you fangirl the better :3 Especially if you're liking Ryker because I take that as a personal compliment, being that he's my creation and not someone else's! I hope I don't disappoint you too much with my lack of quality in personality integrity this chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Big thanks to YOU for getting me motivated enough to push this out before I fly out tomorrow!_


	12. Waking Up Wet

**Chapter 11**

**Waking Up Wet**

"So what happened?" Takashi asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the bloodied Ryker. Almost as surprising as the American's injuries was the fact Saya sat cross-legged with his head in her lap, dabbing it with a damp cloth. _'This was no accident.'_

Rei entwined her fingers and blew a pesky hair from her face. "We got to your place without much difficulty and the doors were still closed. Nothing was damaged downstairs and there were no signs that your mom had come home at all."

Takashi shrugged. He hadn't expected for her to be at the house since she was an elementary school teacher and would have been at work during the outbreak. "I suspected as much. I was just hoping against the odds."

Nodding, she continued. "Saya-san, Alice-chan and I were in the kitchen gathering supplies while Ryker investigated the upstairs. After a few minutes we heard shots and ran up to the third floor." She wrapped her arms around herself as a chill ran through her. "It was a mess. These strange dog-like creatures that Ryker-san had killed were on the floor. During the struggle one of them knocked him through a table and he threw it out the window."

"He wasn't bitten, was he?" Takashi glanced over again at the shivering man that had already acted twice to save the lives of the group's members. He had a feeling these greater injuries were the result of a third time.

"No!" Rei responded quickly. "Saya-chan was standing by the broken window when Ryker-san suddenly ran over and pushed her aside. One of those creatures launched into him and they both went out the window."

Takashi's mouth fell open. "He went out the third story window?"

She nodded and looked over at him, concern etched on her face. "Ryker-san is tough but he hurts far more than he will show. Both inside and out."

"There's a lot more to Ry-kun than meets the eye."

Both turned to see Saeko standing there with her arms crossed; her expression a mixture of concern and annoyance. "His value of life is terribly high in regard to others." She looked in his direction, her eyes softening. "However he puts very small value on his own."

Placing a hand on the older girl's shoulder, Takashi offered a friendly smile. "Then we'll have to show him how important he is to the rest of us. He's already saved two of our lives directly and more than once."

Saeko nodded with a sigh. "I just hope he realizes that before it's too late."

* * *

Kohta leaned back against the Humvee with a tired yawn. "Asami-chan, why did you choose to become a police officer?"

Looking up at the younger boy, Asami thought only for a moment before answering. "Asami wanted to help people. She believes that serving others is the greatest way to live her life."

"Are you happy doing it?"

She smiled brightly. "Some days are tougher than others but Asami never regrets choosing the job." The young officer adjusted her skirt as she sat up in the back of the Humvee. "Have you ever thought about it Kohta-kun? Asami thinks you have the bravery needed."

Blushing at the older girl's comment, Kohta shook his head before removing his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt. "I could never do the physical stuff Asami-chan. I would be much better suited in computer crimes or cyber security."

Asami nodded. "It is a difficult training experience. Asami struggled terribly but never gave up." She smiled again. "Your M1A1 Rifle is very nice. Illegal but I suppose in this situation Asami can overlook it."

"I'm just borrowing it." Kohta admitted sheepishly with a smile as he replaced his glasses. "Is there anyone you need to look for or want to meet up with Asami-chan? A boyfriend or something perhaps?"

Studying her shoes for a moment as her dangling feet swayed, she shook her head. "No. Asami has no family in Japan anymore and her boyfriend dumped her for doing so poorly in school." She frowned as her shoulders slumped. "Asami was bottom of her class."

"But you still made it!" Kohta blurted out. "I've heard many cadets wash out before graduation and some simply fail to graduate regardless. You should be very proud of completing the course and getting a job doing what you wanted." He blushed at his candor but continued anyhow. "And your boyfriend made a huge mistake. You're pretty and you're smart. You can do better."

Asami studied the boy sitting down on the ground. "Asami thinks Kohta-kun is a very sweet boy and, while she may not agree with him on everything, Asami appreciates it." She pulled her feet up and scooted inside the Humvee. "Asami is tired now and is going to sleep. Talk to you in the morning Kohta-kun."

"Good night Asami-chan." He replied with a smile, a blush heating his face. _'Maybe there is hope for me after all.' _He thought to himself as he leaned back against the Humvee and closed his eyes. _'As bad as it sounds, this apocalypse was the best thing to ever happen to me."_

* * *

_A rotting arm narrowly missed the pink pigtails before a thunderous boot sent the attached creature tumbling down a flight of stairs. Pushing the small girl back, Ryker lashed out with his empty M9 and knocked the jaw completely off the elderly woman before him before delivering a hard kick to her chest. The blow sent the decaying woman into a wall where her skull struck the concrete with enough force to shatter._

"_Saya-chan," he gasped out as he clutched his bleeding shoulder; shards of glass stuck out of the ruined flesh. "You have to go. I can't hold them much longer." The scene was grim. Dozens of 'them' were closing in quickly._

_Tears sprang into orange eyes. "I am not leaving you Ryker-kun. And you promised I'd get back alive so you have to run with me!"_

_Ryker sighed and slowly ushered the pink-haired girl behind him towards the blocked door. "I'll try and leave with you, okay? But if I fail you have to run."_

"_No."_

_Looking over at the incorrigible girl, Ryker could not hide the smile. "I suppose if it's our day, it's our day then Saya-chan." He crouched down, coiled to spring at the horde encroaching undead when Saya suddenly pulled his shoulder causing him to stumble back.__As bad as it sounds, maybe_

_ As he turned towards the younger girl, his eyes widened in surprise; the door behind them had come open despite earlier attempts having failed to budge it. "Ryker-kun, hurry!" She was frantic as she pulled his uninjured shoulder towards the open threshold._

_ Once inside, Ryker kicked the door shut; a middle-aged man who had pursued was launched backwards from the force of the door striking him. Saya quickly latched it closed before sliding down the door with a sigh of relief. Her relief was short-lived as she saw Ryker stumble back into the wall and slide to the ground with a groan._

_ "Ryker-kun!" She scrambled to his side. "Ryker-kun, are you okay?"_

_ Ryker smiled warmly, his soft brown eyes showing no hint of fear or apprehension in them. "I am Saya-chan. You saved us back there." He rolled his injured shoulder with a small wince. "It's sore but nothing that will stop me."_

_ The only light in the room came from the red emergency sign above them but their eyes adjusted quickly. Looking around, Saya sighed in frustration at the lack of supplies despite having ended up in a storage closet. Feeling her face heat up, she slowly began unbuttoning her blouse._

_ "Sa.. Saya-chan?"_

_ She looked down as if focusing on the task. "You're bleeding and you need something to wrap the wound. You know so much about medicine but seem to forget you need it too." As she undid the last button she hesitated a moment before slipping the shirt off. The cool air over her sweat-slick skin gave her goose bumps but felt incredible; it was rather warm in the small room despite the air vent's efforts._

_ Ryker blushed and made effort not to stare at the younger girl's impressive chest. It became more difficult as she knelt beside him and began wrapping his bloodied shoulder with the shirt she had removed. "Thank you Saya-chan."_

_ "It's the least I can do Ryker-kun." She mumbled as she tied the knot tightly over the wound to compress the site. "You've done so much for all of us." Her bright orange eyes met his. "For me."_

_ Swallowing hard, Ryker found himself unable to avert his eyes. Her gaze held him as solidly as chains would have. "I haven't done that much Saya-chan. I did no more than anyone else in the same situation would have done."_

_ A small smile touched soft pink lips. "No Ryker-kun, you did so much more. You offered your body to protect mine on two occasions with no expectations of a return. You act selflessly without ever hesitating when someone is in danger." Her left hand came to rest on his cheek gently. "While it is maddening at times, it is also very endearing."_

_ "I could never allow something to happen if I was able to stop it Saya-chan." He felt his face heat up at her touch. "The world outside might be a chaotic land of horrors but only when we as a people give up our humanity is all hope lost."_

_ Saya closed her eyes and felt a shiver run down her spine at his words. "Ryker-kun…" She bit her lip and tried to calm her racing heart as she inched closer to him. "You are what gives me hope."_

_ Ryker felt his heart thundering in his chest. "Saya-chan, I'm just a man," he licked his dry lips nervously as he realized just how close she had become. "I am sure anyone else wou-"_

_ "But no one else did Ryker-kun." She breathed out; her face so close that he felt the words as much as he heard them. "You did." Before he could respond her lips pressed against his, gently at first and then with more urgency._

_ The sudden contact took his breath. He hadn't expected such a daring move and the action caught him completely off guard. The small whimper that came from her as she placed her right hand on the back of his neck broke what little control he had remaining. His tongue darted between his lips and into her willing mouth. The honey sweetness of her tongue and the excited noises coming from her only added to the intensity of the kiss._

_ Straddling the man sitting before her, Saya slid her right hand to Ryker's cheek so that both hands were on his face. It was incredible that despite being in a post-apocalyptic world, the man somehow found time to sneak shaving in to maintain a clean-cut appearance. She purred out a soft moan into Ryker's mouth as his hands gently slid up her thighs that were to each side of him._

_ Ryker felt control slipping farther away by the moment as the young girl straddled him; her skirt was hiked up enough to give a glimpse of the white cotton beneath. Ryker felt his breath hitch at the feel of her soft flesh as his hands gently caressed her thighs. Her hair had come out of the usual pigtails that she wore it in and was now dangling to each side of their faces as their kiss continued to intensify._

_ She was panting for breath at every opportunity but the desire to continue tasting the man in front of her was overwhelming her need for oxygen. Pressing her chest against him she let out a soft moan at the feeling of his obvious excitement as her hips came to rest on his lap. Releasing the grip on his face, Saya's hands moved down to undo the belt and button restraining what she was after._

_ Feeling his own breaths growing ragged, Ryker slid his hands up Saya's thighs and across her hips before letting them come to rest on her rear. His eyes widened at the continued feel of soft flesh without the break of cotton; she seemed conservative but had apparently opted for slightly more risqué undergarments today._

_ Saya moaned into his mouth as his hands tightened their grip, pulling her tight to him. After fumbling for a few moments on the final button of his pants, Saya nearly squealed in delight as she finally succeeded in her attempts. She was trembling all over with need and her shaking hands had made a simple task infinitely more difficult. Without hesitation she immediately began pulling at the waist of his jeans and purred in approval as he shifted his weight to allow her to slide them down._

_ The temperature of the room had significantly increased and Ryker felt sweat running down his neck and chest. Reaching up with his left hand he deftly unclasped the already strained bra and pulled the silken object away from the girl who quickly complied. The moment the bra was completely removed, Ryker gently cupped her right breast; his thumb gently teasing the already hardened nipple._

_ Biting the lip of the man teasing her, Saya let out a throaty moan and immediately slid her hand into his still remaining boxers. Her eyes widened and she used her other hand to remove the remaining material before shifting her hips back away from him. She finally broke the kiss and smirked at the confused look he gave her. Looking down she felt her heart skip at seeing that her hands had not lied; she was quite far from disappointed._

_ Ryker slid his right hand up Saya's side as she inched back and eyed her curiously as she moved all the way to where she was straddling his knees. Her hands were currently idle but their simple touch was making him see stars. His gaze slid from her beautiful orange eyes to her full breasts and he shook his head in amazement. Why did it take an apocalypse to find such beauty?_

_ With a sultry smile, Saya retracted her hands and unzipped the back of her skirt, slipping it off without ever breaking eye contact with Ryker. Her nervousness had been wholly replaced with unimaginable desire that she never thought possible. There was nothing in all of the world she wanted more than to feel Ryker inside her but she had other plans first._

_ As Saya removed her skirt, Ryker sat fixated by her seductive behavior. He had always assumed she would be a more reserved and possibly skittish type about such things but she had proved quite the opposite. She was living up to the stereotype of the quiet girls being the more sexually adventurous. Once her skirt was cast aside, she slid her hands up his thighs causing him to take a sharp intake of breath. When her hands reached his hips, she arched her hips up while her upper body dipped down giving him an exquisite view of both her breasts down by his legs as well as her thong-clad ass in the air._

_ Bracing her weight on his hip with a forearm, Saya took gentle hood of his manhood with her other hand and, while looking into his wide, lust-filled eyes, took him into her mouth. His gasp and tensing of his thighs encouraged the young girl as she traced along his length with her tongue. The sound of his low moan caused a shiver to run down her spine; his reaction heightening her arousal further. Slowly, she began moving her mouth over him, taking him entirely into her mouth before pulling back. As she moved she manipulated her tongue around him, picking up the pace as she went._

_ Ryker closed his eyes and let out a sigh; his hands were knuckling the soft pink hair that lay cascaded to each side of him. Knowing that he would not be able to hold out much longer at her current pace, he managed to whisper. "Saya-chan…"_

_ Slowing to a stop, the young girl looked up with bright orange eyes. Keeping her eyes locked with his, she removed her lips from around him and deliberately licked the remaining saliva from him before licking her own lips. This action elicited the desired action from Ryker. He took her shoulders, hoisting her up and pulling her tight to him._

_With his left hand he pulled her hair back to expose her neck and leaned in, kissing down her neck to her breasts. His right hand reached down and grabbed the back of her thong where it met the hip straps and with a twist, snapped the thin fabric. Reaching down in front of her, he pulled the torn fabric through and tucked it into the strap; the thong now looking like a string belt._

_Further excited by his rough actions, Saya lifted her hips to position over him before slowly lowering herself down. The initial penetration was smoother than she had expected; the saliva as well as her own wetness reducing the friction significantly. There was still some pain but the incredible feeling of him being inside her overrode any discomfort. Bracing her hands on his shoulders she bit her lip as she met his eyes._

_Placing his hands on her hips, Ryker gently guided her down until he was completely inside her. They remained still for a moment before he leaned forward and began teasing her left breast with his tongue; his left hand moving up to grip the other. Her breaths were coming in short gasps and her entire body shook with the overwhelming amount of stimuli._

_Saya bit her lip and tightened her grip on Ryker's shoulders as she began moving her hips up and down; rising just enough to barely have him inside her before lowering back down completely. Picking up the pace, she found control slipping away quickly. Ryker's mouth moved to her right breast as his hands traded off as well. The girl atop him was now moaning audibly with every descent she made; her sounds exciting him further and making the pain of her grip on his injured shoulder a distant memory._

"_Oh Rykerrrr!" Saya cried out, his name rising in pitch as her body shook with a powerful tremor. Feeling her tighten around him, Ryker moved his hand to her hip; his grip on either die pulling her down with greater force as she sped up further._

"_Saya…" he groaned as he felt his own body nearing its peak. His eyes widened in surprise when she suddenly stopped and lifted off of him entirely. His unasked question was swiftly answered however when she repositioned herself and bent down, taking him into her mouth again._

_ His gasp at her actions as well as the taste of her own arousal elicited a purr of satisfaction from the young girl as she worked her mouth over him rapidly. She could feel in his muscles that he was close and encircled him with her tongue as she looked up into his beautiful, soft eyes._

_ Between the feeling of her tongue, the sight of her bare backside bouncing in rhythm to her actions and the sight of her eyes looking up at him finally did him in. "Oh Saya-chan…" he moaned as he trembled in climax. His gaze never leaving her eyes as she unhesitatingly took all he had to offer and swallowed it down. She cleaned him off with her tongue before crawling closer and resting her head on his chest._

_ As the door finally burst open, both looked into each other's eyes for what they believed to be the last time. Ryker pulled Saya close and buried her face into his shoulder; not willing to let her see what was to come._

_ "Saya-san?! Ryker-san?!" A frantic voice cried out._

_ Looking over her shoulder, Saya froze. Standing in the doorway was the rest of the group; their stares going from her nude form to the man she was pressed up against. She opened her mouth to speak but an icy voice filled the awkward silence first._

_ "Takagi-san…" Saeko's cold blue eyes narrowed into slits as she stepped into the room, katana drawn._

_ "Saya!" She heard Ryker's voice but everything suddenly went black. "Saya-chan…"_

* * *

"Saya-chan…"

As her eyed fluttered open, Saya looked down into the soft brown eyes of Ryker. His head was propped in her lap and her left hand's fingers were combing through his hair. She saw the blush on his cheeks and realized her right hand was...

"Ohmygod!" she rushed out as she hastily jerked her hand away from under the hiked up skirt. Her face turned cherry-red and her eyes returned to Rykers' who had not wavered. "Ryker-kun…"

An embarrassed smile formed as he looked into the orange eyes above him. "Good morning Saya-chan."

Feeling her face heat up even more, she cleared her throat. "Good morning Ryker-kun. Are you feeling any better?" She offered a nervous smile in return. _'My god, please say I wasn't talking in my sleep as well. If he knows it was about him….'_

He studied her eyes for a moment before answering. "I am feeling quite fine Saya-chan," his smile turned into one of genuine appreciation. "Greatly thanks to you."

"All I did was follow your instructions." Her smile came easier at the compliment however.

He shook his head, making her aware that she was idly stroking his hair again. "I don't recall instructing you to sit with me and do as you've done. Your presence did more than simple saline could Saya-chan. I lost enough blood to be weakened but not enough to die; the saline simply allowed me a quicker recovery. It was your actions after that made the process so much easier." He winked. "You have incredible bedside manner. You would make a wonderful nurse."

Somehow finding a way to blush further, she couldn't catch the giggle that snuck past her lips. "You are very sweet Ryker-kun. Though I do not think you will be too happy in knowing that the others already left."

"Left?!" He nearly yelled, startling Saya. "They went to the school already?"

She nodded. "They went earlier this morning when I ran out to get some water." She blew a stray hair out of her face. "I guess I sorta dozed off when I got back."

Despite his annoyance at being left behind, Ryker felt a smirk creep back onto his face. "So you did." He paused a moment before continuing. "Pleasant dreams?"

Her face returned to a bright red as she huffed. "That's none of your business!" She looked away with her nose in the air. "But yes. It was."

Ryker's ability to hold his tongue was absolutely zero. "Was I any good?"

With an audible gasp, Saya froze; her hand stopping mid-stroke in his hair and mouth agape. Slowly she turned to look down into his amused eyes. "H-how did you…"

"You mumble in your sleep Saya-chan." He smiled as she stammered for a moment before he continued. "So…?"

She stated at him incredulously. "You actually expect me to answer that Ryker-kun!?"

He shrugged. "Why not Saya-chan? It's not as though I don't know what you dreamt of and," he gestured to her still damp fingers.

"I can't believe how bold you are, Ryker-kun." She looked away for a moment then, realizing that he was not going to relent, sighed and looked back down at him. "I was… impressed." Her face heated up anew and she averted her eyes. "You were a wonderful kisser."

His soft laugh startled her. "Then I can be assured dreams are nothing like reality."

Saya cocked her head to the side, suddenly finding her gaze drawn to his lips as she revisited the incredibly detailed dream. Her hand trembled and she felt a sweat begin to break out. "They say dreams are an extension of reality. Nothing we dream can be completely fictitious." She licked her lips nervously.

"Very true Saya-chan. So that begs the question of what brought upon such an," he winked. "Interesting dream."

Her eyes remained locked on his lips as he talked. "Stress and being rescued not once but twice by a handsome hero who currently has his head in my lap." Her breathing was reduced to short, quick breaths as her heart rate increased. _'How is he doing this to me? Is it because of the dream or am I really this weak-willed?'_

Ryker blushed but kept his gaze on the girl above him. "I'm just an ordinary man Saya-chan. One who has been terribly lucky in this ordeal."

"Lucky!? You were thrown through a window Ryker-kun!"

A coy grin formed. "And look where it landed me. Here I am in the lap of a pretty girl who apparently has intensely vivid dreams about me."

Swatting him with the hand she was running through his hair, she blushed again. "You're terrible Ryker-kun."

"I just see the bright side of things Saya-chan." He smiled and slowly sat up, groaning in the process.

"Ryker-kun?"

Looking back, Ryker noticed she was looking down at her hands while she fidgeted with her skirt. "Yes Saya-chan?"

"Would you be against showing me how accurate my imagination is?"

The color drained from Ryker's face. "S… Saya-chan…"

Her face went so red he thought she might pop. "I didn't mean _that_ Ryker-kun!" She screamed at him.

Tilting his head to the side, Ryker eyed her curiously. "What are you asking Saya-chan?"

She moved closer, keeping her head low. When she was right in front of him she lifted her gaze to meet his; her orange eyes showed the nervousness she felt. "I just want to see if one thing was right…" She said breathily, leaning closer.

Ryker froze, unsure what to do. On one hand he wanted nothing more than to give in and kiss the sweet girl before him. On the other, his feelings for Saeko were rearing up and kept him rooted to the spot. His other concern was upsetting the poor girl who was opening up to him in surprising fashion. _'Only in an apocalypse would something like this happen. When else would I be worried about the decision to kiss a beautiful girl for fear of another beautiful girl becoming upset?'_

His thoughts were interrupted as he realized Saya's lips were a mere breath away from his own; she had not waited for him to meet her and was coming all the way. Just as their lips brushed each other the door slammed open and startled Saya into falling back onto her behind.

"Ryker-san! You're up!" Alice sprinted into the room and slid to a stop beside him before looking at Saya. Her eyes lit up and she covered her mouth. "I interrupted something, didn't I?"

Ryker smiled and ruffled her hair, looking up as the others filtered in through the door as well. "You could never interrupt Alice-chan." He winked with a wide smile. **"But don't tell anyone what you saw okay?"** He whispered in English.

She giggled and made a zipper motion across her mouth before gently hugging him. "I am glad you're okay Ryker-san. No one got hurt on our trip either!"

"Ryker-san! It is good to see you're awake." Takashi looked exhausted but he had a smile on his face. "I'm sorry we left without you but we could not risk your injuries getting you killed."

With a sigh, Ryker nodded. He didn't want to admit the seriousness of his injuries but he knew that in a major battle he would have run out of steam. "I am much better now Takashi. I owe much to Shizuka-san and Saya-chan's tender care."

Saya blushed and averted her gaze as Miss Shizuka bounced her way over. "Oh Ryker-san it is wonderful to see you sitting up!" She gushed before enveloping him in a vice-grip of a hug; his face being buried in her obscenely large bust. "We were worried when we left because you were so pale but now all that color is back!"

"It won't be if you suffocate him with your breasts." Saya muttered.

Finally freeing himself from the death-grip, Ryker fought down the blush that filled his face. "I am very thankful for your care Shizuka-san." He slowly got to his feet, wavering for a moment before steadying himself. "I need to wash up. You said there was a water station nearby, Saya-chan?"

She nodded. "Outside and to the immediate left. It's cold though."

Ryker shrugged and slowly made his way towards the door; the effort in hiding the pain he felt tremendous. As he approached the door, Saeko gave him a tired smile and went to make for the Humvee but a hand on her shoulder halted her.

"Saeko-chan, would you mind helping me?" He smiled warmly and gestured to his back. "I can't reach it without reopening some wounds."

Looking from him back towards Saya and Miss Shizuka, she nodded and smiled up at him. "I'd be glad to Ry-kun." In reality, the fact that he had asked her and not one of the other girls brightened her rather dark day significantly.

Once they got outside and the door closed behind them, Saeko gripped his shoulders roughly and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The moment their lips met, Saeko let out a content sigh and tightened her grip on him. After a few breath-taking seconds, she pulled back and looked into his warm, comforting eyes. "I was worried about you Ry-kun." She whispered, her eyes searching his. "Miss Shizuka said that if your fever didn't break you might slip into a coma."

Smiling at the emotionally exposed girl before him, Ryker ran a hand through her dark, indigo hair. "I'd not let some little fall take me out."

Her smile faltered and he could see she was struggling to keep it on her lips. "You really pushed Saya-chan out of the way, huh?"

"Saeko-chan…"

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, silencing him. "You truly have a big heart Ry-kun. One that holds genuine care for those around you. I cannot fault you for doing what makes you the wonderful man that you are." She cocked her head to the side. "Though it'd be nice if you rescued a male for once."

He felt a blush rise in his cheeks as he smiled playfully. "I'll be sure to tell Takashi or Kohta to be less cautious in the future."

Saeko rolled her eyes and moved away towards the water station. "Let's get you cleaned up. Takashi will want to go over what happened today. As you can see we came back without anyone new but beyond that I'll let him do the talking."

"Thank you Saeko-chan." He smiled and followed the intoxicatingly beautiful girl.

* * *

_**~Earlier that morning~**_

"_It's so quiet out here." Rei mumbled as she stepped through the open gate. "I don't think anyone is here."_

_Looking over at Rei, Takashi shook his head. "The school had hundreds of staff and students. Not to mention any of the officers that came here from the East Police Station. Your father and my mother could still be here Rei."_

_She smiled hopefully and nodded before looking back at the others. Kohta and Asami brought up the rear of the group with Miss Shizuka and Alice in the center. As they approached the main doors to the building the sight of bodies littering the floor brought chills to everyone there. These were not the bodies of men and women of the business world but those of children not even in their teens. Despite having come across hundreds of 'them', seeing children who had turned was not something any of them wanted to accept._

"_It looks like the police made it here after all." Takashi smiled over at Rei and opened the door slowly. As he stepped inside he gestured for the others to follow him in before he began walking down the first hallway. A sign above read "Faculty"._

_As they made their way down the hall, Miss Shizuka held Alice tightly to her hip. It wasn't as much to comfort the little girl as it was to comfort herself. Despite being mostly oblivious to things going on around her, the busty blonde had a deep affection for children and the sights within this school were nightmarish._

_Stepping over the body of a middle-aged man in a suit, Saeko looked over and froze. "Ta… Takashi…"_

_Takashi came to a stop and looked over as well, his jaw dropping at the sight before him. "Dear god…"_

_Inside of a set of double-doors, propped open by the body of an officer, were hundreds of 'them' feeding on the corpses of dozens of dead. Children and adults alike tore at the bodies littering the cafeteria with insatiable hunger. There were numerous bodies that were riddled with gunshots but seeing that some of 'them' were wearing police uniforms did little encourage the group._

"_No…" Asami gasped as she stumbled forward, seeing the uniforms of her coworkers and friends mixed in with the blood-thirsty horde._

_Saeko's arm stopped the wide-eyed officer before she could enter the room. "There is nothing you can do Asami-san. There's too many."_

"_Asami understands but she can't believe so many didn't make it…" Her eyes filled with tears._

_Rei embraced the older girl and slowly pulled her from the doorway. "It's okay Asami-san, just breathe." She looked up and saw Takashi was scanning the room with determined eyes. After a few moments he let out a sigh of relief and smiled over at her with a shake of his head; their parents were not among them._

"_We need to keep moving." He whispered as he returned to the group. "There's still an auditorium where they might have gathered up the survivors."_

_Making their way down the halls, the group moved slowly but deliberately. As they reached the auditorium, they stopped and exchanged nervous glances before Saeko spoke._

"_Are you both ready? We may not like what we see inside. This is the only other major area they could have gathered."_

_Rei swallowed and looked at Takashi before they both nodded in unison. "We have no choice Saeko-san. At the very least we need answers." She gave a hopeful smile to Takashi before opening the door slowly._

_Takashi went in first, followed by Saeko and Rei. The others remained in the hall to avoid funneling the exit in the event they needed to retreat quickly. As he descended towards the stage, Takashi felt his heart sink; there was no sign of anyone in the large room._

_Pulling herself up onto the stage, Saeko glanced around before stumbling back and almost falling from the stage as a head rolled over to her feet. She looked up just in time to see a partially decayed teacher rushing towards her. Leaning back, she kicked the man in the stomach before drawing her katana and beheading him in a swift motion. "We have company!"_

_Though he heard her, Takashi was fixated on a piece of paper nailed to the stage front. Taking it in his hands, he read the words quickly before stuffing it in his pocket. Rei ran past him and delivered a punishing blow with the stock of her rifle to the jaw of one of 'them'._

"_Takashi, we need to go!"_

_He snapped to action and turned just in time to duck under a clumsy grab. Using the momentum of the off-balance creature, he shifted his weight and flipped the elderly woman over him before bringing the shotgun down hard into her face._

_Saeko moved like a ghost upon the stage, cutting down waves of the mindless attackers without so much as a moment's hesitation. She knew the stakes at hand and would not give in. 'Not yet.' She thought. There was too much she needed to do still. Side-stepping a grab, she lopped off the arm before taking the head it belonged to._

_Takashi stopped and watched her for a moment. The sight of her just letting lose her frustrations on the mindless creatures was mystifying and it took a hard elbow to the ribs from Rei to break his concentration. "Saeko-san! Let's go!"_

_Jumping down from the stage, she followed Rei and Takashi up the aisle and out the door. The moment they were all outside, Asami slammed the door shut and forced a trophy from the wall into the handles. Kohta nodded, impressed, before following the rest of them as they fled from the school._

_Once outside the group stopped to regain their breath; the air was heavy with disappointment. Removing the paper from his pocket, Takashi re-read it before turning to Rei with a smile. "Rei, this is another letter from your father."_

_She quickly snatched it from his hand before reading it. "It says they recovered a small group of survivors but were nearly overrun in the auditorium." She looked up at Takashi before returning to reading further. "They are going to try and meet up with a shelter on the edge of the city. Apparently there's rumor of a safe haven."_

_Everyone shared wide-eyed looks; the thought of such a thing was almost too good to be true but they couldn't help but feel hopeful about it. Alice spoke up suddenly. "Can we head back now? I want to see how Ryker-san is doing."_

_Saeko smiled appreciatively at the young girl. In truth, she was thinking along the same lines but had been unwilling to voice her thoughts. When Takashi nodded and they began heading back, Saeko ruffled the bright pink curls as she passed the young girl. 'You better be okay Ry-kun. As lame as I feel for these urges, I dislike being away from you.'_

_Petting Zeke idly as she walked, Alice looked around the group with a wide smile. There was nothing she enjoyed more than seeing everyone in a positive mood. Even though they had gone another day without meeting up with their families, everyone had hope. Alice could not ask for anything more than that._

* * *

As Takashi finished up his brief overview of what happened, Ryker pushed off the wall he had been leaning against. "I am glad you were able to find evidence of your families Takashi, Rei-chan. I apologize for being unavailable during your struggle there."

Rei smiled warmly at the obviously frustrated man. "It's not a big deal Ryker-san. No one was injured and your wounds came from a selfless act that saved Saya-san's life. No one here holds your absence against you."

"Besides," Takashi added as he took a bite of his sandwich. "You kept Saya out of trouble. She seems to be a magnet for it recently." He ducked as a pieced of rolled up plastic flew past his head.

"So I'm a burden to you Takashi?" Saya's orange eyes narrowed into slits.

Picking his words carefully, Takashi offered an apologetic smile. "I was just kidding Saya. You were the best candidate to keep an eye on Ryker-san while we left, truthfully. We couldn't leave Miss Shizuka behind in case we needed her. Alice is too young to respond appropriately if something had happened here and I needed our top fighters in the event of an ambush."

Sighing dejectedly, Saya sat down. _'So basically that means I'm worthless. I'm not medically useful and I have no fighting skills. I'm as much of a burden as I am anything else.'_

Once the others had gone off behind the Humvee to clean up their lunch mess, Ryker approached Saya and knelt beside her. "Saya-chan, you are nowhere near worthless."

"What are you, psychic now?" she snapped in annoyance, more at herself than the man offering comfort.

He smiled despite her harsh response. "You are not very good at hiding your feelings Saya-chan. I just want you to know how much you helped me. No one forced you to do anything that you did and because of your care, I am alive and well."

She blushed and looked up at him finally. "Are you just being nice Ryker-kun? Because if you are I'm going to hit you."

Ryker grinned at the playful threat. "You're far too intelligent to patronize, Saya-chan. But I would like to make you an offer."

"And what kind of offer would that be Ryker-kun?"

Leaning close, he whispered softly into her ear. "Tonight after midnight. Come outside and meet me where we spoke last time."

Her face heated up as he walked away. _'How do you do this to me Ryker-kun?'_ She sighed and flopped back onto the bedroll Ryker had been sleeping on. His scent permeated the soft material and she found herself smiling as she turned her face against the pillow. _'You are something else Ryker-kun. I just hope you can stop being such a hero and find some self-value. You're too important to us.'_

* * *

Rei stretched languidly against the Humvee as she watched Kohta and Asami chat in the corner. It was nice to see the reclusive gun-nut talking to someone; especially a girl. Despite finding the officer a bit strange, she couldn't help but like the girl. Her strange speech only added to the endearment that her innocent personality initiated.

Seeing that Saeko was sitting alone cleaning her sword, the brunette decided to make her way over and have a seat beside her. "How are you doing Saeko-san?"

Looking at the other girl curiously, Saeko smiled politely. "I am fine Miyamoto. I'm sorry we did not find your father or Takashi's mother today."

"No, but at least we know they may still be alive. That is good enough for now." She looked at the indigo-haired girl curiously. "What do you fight for Saeko-san? You fight for more than just survival. You've changed in the last week." She leaned close with a sly smile. "Is it to do with Ryker-san?"

Saeko's blush told more than her lips ever would. "None of us want to become like _them_ Miyamoto. I've just had a few too many close calls lately."

Rei covered her mouth to hide the giggle that was begging for release. "If you say so Saeko-san. Personally, if I wasn't with Takashi I know I'd be after him." She watched the other girl for a response and was indulged beyond her expectations.

"Is there something else you wanted, Miyamoto?" The dark-haired girl's response was uncharacteristically filled with emotion. It showed annoyance at the line of questioning but also a defensiveness over what had been said.

"Not at all Saeko-san." She smiled brightly at the irritated girl. "Get some rest soon. We are going to look for some more food supplies tomorrow. Our supply is still decent but our group is growing."

With a nod, Saeko returned to the task of cleaning her blade. She had no further interest in discussing anything with the brunette who had so successfully pushed her buttons. It was very unlike her to allow others to see such emotions but Rei was right. She had definitely changed in the last week due to Ryker's influence. _'You better start taking care of yourself Ry-kun. If you end up with Saya comforting you again, I promise you will pay for it.'_

* * *

_Author's Note_

* * *

_First off let me say I'm sorry for the terribly inappropriate title. But I thought of it and giggled and kept it. That said… Lengthy chapter go! Not too bad for writing on a plane and in the swamplands that we label Mississippi… God this place sucks; no AC with 90% humidity in the high 80's, low 90's and 40 guys in one billet. But I managed this upload through great effort! Saved file to a jpeg, emailed to myself via my phone's 3G, ran a mile in an absolute downpour to the internet cafe (thank god it was still open...) battled the ridiculous security protocols of their system to download the file, convert it to a document and upload it for your viewing pleasure!_

_Anyway, to the actual note!_

_How do you all feel about the direction? I'm working at keeping things moving and intend for the next chapter to do away with their little hide-out situation. How about that dream eh? It's been floating in my head all week and I could NOT resist doing it. If you're angry about it, I'm sorry. If you enjoyed it, I'm glad! Because I certainly enjoyed writing it. Had to take a few breaks during it to cool off! Sheesh. Little more detailed than the last adventure I dare say._

_I recognize there is some OOCness going on but as I said before, things change inside people when they have feelings for others. I know this first-hand and I doubt high school kids would be in better emotional control lol._

_Do you guys like Asami? She's fun for her adorable speech pattern (if you did not read the manga, like me, but did not research her as I had to, she talks in third person because officers in Japan say "This officer". She's just a little slow lol)._

_How about Saya's crush on Ryker? Talk about a snowball effect. That's what happens when you fly out of a window and nearly die to protect someone. I should say now, Do Not Try This At Home. There, all better._

_I know I'm light on the Shizuka and Alice lately but I promise to at least incorporate more Alice. I adore that little girl and have great plans for her. Just be patient and stick with it! As always, please review! As you can see, I was motivated enough to write during my travel and find a way to manage uploading JUST for you guys! Amazing what you people can do! And speaking of reviews..._

_Thank you to **War Sage **and **FrancisVamp0822** for the compliments! I am very glad to be attracting new readers still!_

**_Caet: _**_Hearts galore! I adore her illiest speaking pattern. Makes me smile every time I write it. And yes, noodley arms are a problem and that is why I had Shizuka step aside. Silly nurse, afraid of needles. Glad you are enjoying the crush drama! This chapter definitely fans those crazy flames... Sheesh. Was just one of those "Let's see how far I can push the envelope." So I hope people respond. If well received, it may be more prevailent in the future. If not, I will tone it down a bit._

**_Pablojcd:_**_ Glad you are enjoying and I would be thrilled to have you fan art Ryker! I PM'd you with further info. In a few days I'll be home and able to do more. Hope you enjoy the chapter! I know I VERY much enjoyed writing it to keep my sanity here!_


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